State and Local Government, Day 8 - Class Recap

Delicate Arch in Utah. A bridge between this semester and next! Photo taken in 2014.

Hi everyone,

Our last class together before semester finals was today, so we did some preparation! Here's what we did today in class:

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

Soundtrack: "Final Hour" by Lauryn Hill. Selected for today because we are in our final hours before finals! Lyrics here.

AGENDA 6/14/18:

News Brief – Syd
Finish Lift Ev'ry Voice
Jeopardy Review
Study Time

Homework: Read the blog! Study for your final test! Finals are next class, on Monday. Next news brief: Lucas.

---

News Brief: Syd had the news brief today and selected an article about this story to talk about: CNN.com - New York attorney general sues Trump Foundation. We talked about this story and a little bit about what else is happening with the government.

The next news brief was assigned to Lucas.

Finish Lift Ev'ry Voice: We finished watching an excellent recent documentary from OPB, called Lift Ev'ry Voice. If you want to watch again, share, or get caught up, it is here:

OPB.org - Portland Civil Rights: Lift Ev'ry Voice

Here is the worksheet that goes along with the documentary:

Google Drive - Lift Ev'ry Voice Documentary Questions

I think it is super important that we understand our own history regarding race in Portland, especially as I think there are some common assumptions that are just not true. As such, I was glad to see that almost everyone was glued to this in class. Thanks for your focus and willingness to learn about our own history! It was great to hear student responses after the film about what they learned.

Jeopardy Review: Due to the shortened schedule today for our class, we did not get to this. Too bad! I know you will all be well prepared by Monday.

Study Time: Here is the Study Guide that I passed out in class, if you missed class or wanted to see it again:

Google Drive - Government Semester Final Study Guide

See you on Monday, for finals! Good luck on all of them! :-)

State and Local Government, Day 7 - Class Recap

The famous "White Stag" building sign in downtown Portland. Photo taken over Winter Break, 2015.

Hi everyone,

It is a busy last week before finals week! Here's what happened in class:

Learning Targets Addressed:

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

Soundtrack: "Summertime Sadness" by Lana Del Rey and Cedric Gervais. Selected for today because it is almost summer, but we unfortunately still have plenty of work to do for finals! Lyrics here.

AGENDA 6/12/17:
News Brief – Sofia
Finish S+L Presentations
Lift Ev'ry Voice
Discussion

Homework: Read the blog. Continue studying for finals! Next news brief: Syd.

News Brief: Sofia had the news brief today and selected an article about this story: CNN.com - Trump's new world order. We watched a bit of this video before moving on to check in about what we have been up to outside of class.

Finish State and Local Presentations: We completed this in class today! Thanks to everyone for your effort on this. If you have not already, please submit an electronic copy of your paper on Google Classroom, or a physical copy to me in person, by the end of this week.

Lift Ev'ry Voice/Discussion: As I tried to point out today, there is a LOT of history in our own community of racism, that I think students do not typically know about. But, there is a reason that Portland is one of the whitest major cities in the United States. A few links for curious students to check out:

Gizmodo.com - Oregon Was Founded As a Racist Utopia

TheAtlantic.com - The Racist History of Portland, the Whitest City in America

Google Search - "Oregon Racist Utopia"

I also wanted to be sure that we talked about the laws that prevented people of color from owning property in places like Lake Oswego and throughout Oregon. Here is an example:

We also watched the first 4 minutes or so of this video, to help set the stage for the main documentary we wanted to show in class:

Lift Ev'ry Voice: For the rest of class, we started watching an excellent recent documentary from OPB, called Lift Ev'ry Voice, and ended class about 38 minutes in. If you want to watch again, share, or get caught up, it is here:

OPB.org - Portland Civil Rights: Lift Ev'ry Voice

Here is the worksheet that goes along with the documentary:

Google Drive: Lift Ev'ry Voice Documentary Questions

I think it is super important that we understand our own history regarding race in Portland, especially as I think there are some common assumptions that are just not true. As such, I was glad to see that almost everyone was glued to this in class. Thanks for your focus and willingness to learn about our own history! We will finish this next class and then prepare for the final!

State and Local Government, Day 6 - Class Recap

Rowena Crest Viewpoint, near Moiser, Oregon. Photo taken in 2016.

Dear class

I enjoyed talking with everyone about their projects today, and also our work with analyzing how race has impacted our state and local government, especially in Portland. Here's what happened in class today:

Learning Targets Addressed:

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

Soundtrack: "Coming Home" by Mat Kearney. Selected for today because it is a song about Oregon. Lyrics here.

AGENDA 6/8/18:
News Brief – Carlos
State and Local Presentations
Lift Ev'ry Voice
Discussion

Homework: Read the blog. Continue studying for finals! Next news brief: Sofia.

News Brief: Carlos had the news brief today and selected an article about this story: CNN.com - Trump picks 'attitude' over prep work ahead of Singapore summit. This meeting between President Trump and Kim Jong Un is scheduled to take place next Tuesday, when we have class! So I am sure we will have plenty to talk about then.

State and Local Presentations: Most of the rest of class was spent presenting these projects about a state or local issue of student choice. Woo hoo! If you have not turned in the corresponding paper, please do so ASAP (link to do so on Google Classroom), as I will be grading these soon. The rest of these presentations will be next class.

See you next week, everyone!

State and Local Government, Day 5 - Class Recap

Something I care a lot about in our local community is supporting the Portland Thorns women's professional soccer team. I helped paint this banner for the start of last season! Photo taken in 2015.

Hi everyone,

Today was almost entirely devoted to our final work day on State and Local Project Presentations, because it was such a short class, due to the Senior Assembly. Here's what happened in class today:

Learning Targets Addressed:

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

Soundtrack: "I Want It That Way" by Backstreet Boys. Selected for today because students were presenting on what they wanted to have happen in the state/local government. Lyrics here.

AGENDA 6/6/18:
News Brief – Abby K.
Work Time
State and Local Presentations

Homework: Read the blog. State and Local projects due to be presented next class! Start studying for the final! All late work is due by Friday. Next news brief: Carlos.

News Brief: Abby K. had the news brief today, but was forgot, so I filled in and selected an article about this story to talk about: CNN.com - Exclusive: Trump invokes War of 1812 in testy call with Trudeau over tariffs. This was about the recent tariffs (import taxes) on steel and aluminum that President Trump has imposed on Canada (among lots of other countries).

We also checked in about what students were up to outside of class, before moving on.

Work Time: After the news brief, we had some time to prep for the state and local presentations as I set up.

State and Local Presentations: Thank you for your work and for the class in focusing and respecting the presentations for students who were ready to go today. It was good to see the thought and effort put into these and making possible solutions! I enjoyed hearing all about the ideas for possible solutions in our state and local community! If you have not presented yet, you will be asked to do so next class.

Thank you! See you on Friday!

State and Local Government, Day 4 - Class Recap

Today was the sunset for the seniors in our class! I am wishing them all the best and success in life! Photo taken in 2007, over California.

Dear class,

Another disjointed day today, due to the seniors needing to take their finals in class, and rest of the class just using the class as a study period, before State and Local government presentations are due later this week. Here's what happened in class today:

Learning Targets Addressed:

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

Soundtrack: "Good Life" by OneRepublic. Selected for today because of the seniors last day! On with the rest of their life soon! Lyrics here.

AGENDA 6/4/18:
News Brief – James
Senior Finals
Study Time
State and Local Project

Homework: Read the blog. State and Local project due to be presented in class on Friday! All late/missing/revised work due Friday as well! Thank you, seniors! Next news brief: Abby K.

News Brief: James had the news brief today and selected an article about this story to talk about: CNN.com - Supreme Court rules for Colorado baker in same-sex wedding cake case. We talked a little bit about this very interesting story and the implications that it could have moving forward. Abby K. has the next news brief.

Senior Finals: During this time, seniors were taking their final in class. Thanks for respecting their time and effort with being quiet! I hope they went well for the seniors! I am grateful for their effort this semester and I am wishing them all the best! Keep in touch, class of 2018!

Study Time: The rest of class (as seniors were taking the test) was devoted to reviewing for the final. Here's the study guide I passed out for that:

Google Drive - Government Semester Final Study Guide

Students who were in class also got a more detailed study guide on the back side of this. Come see me if you missed class for this. Thank you!

State and Local Presentations: We will continue with these as we have time to do so! Next class, we will have a very short work day (due to the senior assembly), before the project is due to be presented on Friday.

Thanks everyone, and especially all of the seniors!

State and Local Government, Day 3 - Class Recap

Another beautiful place in our amazing State of Oregon: the Wooden Shoe Tulip Festival in Woodburn. Photo taken in 2015.

Dear class,

Busy times! Seniors have only one more day in class with us! Here's what happened in class today:

Learning Targets Addressed:

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

Soundtrack: "Battlefield" by Jordin Sparks. Selected for today because the end of the year can feel like a series of battles. Keep working hard, everyone! Lyrics here.

AGENDA 5/31/18:
News Brief – Lucas (Mr. Fritz)
State/Local Project (Senior Presentations)
Work Time
Grade Check

Homework: Read the blog. Your State/Local final project is due to be turned in and presented next Friday! Seniors: your final for the class is next class, on Monday! Please finish and turn in your Citizenship Paper if you have not already. Next news brief: James.

News Brief: Lucas had the news brief today, but was not in class, so I filled in and selected an article about this story to talk about:

KGW.com - Oregon has one of shortest school years, lowest graduation rates in U.S.

I also talked about this story, from a nearby high school:

KGW.com - Liberty HS student can wear pro-border wall T-shirt, judge rules

Two very interesting and local articles, as we continue to look into state and local government!

The next news brief will be done by James.

We also checked in about what students were up to outside of class.

State/Local Project: We kept working on this project, which is a two page paper, with at least three MLA citations, about a local issue that you care about. Here's the handout:

Google Drive: State and Local Government Final Project

We went through this together again, and then continued working on it in class.

Work Time/Grade Check: The rest of class was spent working on Chromebooks, researching for the State and Local project and writing about an issue that you care about in our local community as I checked in with students about grades. Next class, Seniors will be taking the final as the rest of class has work time again. Thanks for your hard work, everyone!

State and Local Government, Day 2 - Class Recap

As we continue to work in class on the State and Local project, here is a picture I took in 2014 of Oregon's only National Park: Crater Lake.

Hi everyone,

We began our last major project for the year in today's class! Here's what happened in class:

Learning Targets Addressed:

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

Soundtrack: "Joker and the Thief" by Wolfmother. Selected because it was sort of a pump up song for the long weekend ahead. Lyrics here.

AGENDA 5/29/18:
News Brief – James
State and Local Project
Work Time
Grade Check

Homework: Read the blog. Continue working on your State/Local final project! Make sure you have your Citizenship Paper turned in, along with any missing work so I can grade it ASAP! Next news brief (just find an article related to government - no write up needed): Lucas.

News Brief: James had the news brief today and selected an article about this story to talk about: CNN.com - Trump ramps up pressure to get North Korea summit on track. We talked about this story in class for a bit. After this, we checked in about the weekend and what people were up to over the last four days. Lucas helpfully volunteered for the next news brief.

State/Local Project: After the news brief, we talked about the State and Local government reading and assignment from last class:

Google Drive - State and Local Government Readings/Questions
I then went through the final assignment for the class, which is a two page paper, with at least three MLA citations, about a local issue that you care about. It will be due in class *probably* next Friday (for seniors, it is due next Monday - their last day in class), and you will probably be asked to give a short (like a minute or two) presentation in a circle in class. Here's the handout:

Google Drive: State and Local Government Final Project

We went through this together, and then worked in class on the Chromebooks.

Grade Check/Work Time: The rest of class was spent in class, working on researching for the State and Local project and writing about an issue that you care about in our local community. When I was checking in with students, it appeared that most had a great start as far as selecting issues and beginning to work on the project. Next class, we will continue working on this. Please let me know if you have any questions about what to do! See you on Thursday!

State and Local Government, Day 1 - Class Recap

The beach at Puerto Vallarta, on Christmas Eve, 2015.

Hello everyone,

We started our last major unit of the year today, on state and local government! Here's what happened in class today:

Learning Targets Addressed:

Knowledge LT 2: I can demonstrate an understanding of the role of governments in current issues.
Knowledge LT 6: I can demonstrate an understanding of the principles, structures, and functions of different levels of U.S. government.

Soundtrack: "Sometimes You Can't Make it On Your Own" by U2. Selected for today because we are nearing the end of the school year and I am hoping to give you support to finish the year strong!

AGENDA 5/24/18:
News Brief – Abby V.
Judicial Branch Test
Unit Overview
State and Local Government

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

News Brief: Abby V. had the news brief today and selected an article about this story: OregonLive.com - Oregon attorney general issues ballot title for initiative to ban sales of assault weapons. This was a perfect article for today, as we start our state and local unit - the final unit of the year!

James was selected to do the next news brief.

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!

Unit Overview: Today, we started our work with State and Local government unit (our last main one before the end of the semester). To begin, I had students do a simple fill-in-the-blank overview of the main concepts. The completed form is here:

Google Drive: State/Local Government Completed Overview

This was meant as a general overview. We will get into some specifics in the coming days.

State and Local Government: For the next part of class, I passed out a reading with questions about our last major unit of the year, on state and local forms of government (also on Google Classroom):

Google Drive - State and Local Government Readings/Questions

We went through the most of the answers during class - keep this, as it will be helpful for understanding what is going on in our last unit of the year.

Next class, we will start the final project of the year, on state and local government! See you then!

State and Local Government, Day 8 - Class Recap

The famous "White Stag" building sign in downtown Portland. Photo taken over Winter Break, 2015.

Hi everyone,

It is a busy last week before finals week! Here's what happened in class:

Learning Targets Addressed:

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

Soundtrack: "A Change is Gonna Come" by Sam Cooke. Selected for today because of the connection to the Civil Rights Movement in the lyrics.

AGENDA 1/25/18:
News Brief – Marian, Kayla, and CJ
Lift Ev'ry Voice
Discussion
Study Time

Homework: Read the blog. Continue studying for finals! Next news brief: Zoe.

News Brief: Marian had the news brief today and selected an article about this story: BBC.com - President Trump predicts 'tremendous increase' in UK-US trade.

CJ also brought in a news brief and selected an article about this story: NYTimes.com - Trump Says He Is Open to a Path to Citizenship for ‘Dreamers’.

Finally, Kayla talked about this story, as well: NYTimes.com - School Shooting in Kentucky Was Nation’s 11th of Year. It Was Jan. 23.

Thanks for the interesting conversation, everyone! Zoe has the next news brief (no write up required).

Lift Ev'ry Voice/Discussion: We finished watching an excellent recent documentary from OPB, called Lift Ev'ry Voice. If you want to watch again, share, or get caught up, it is here:

OPB.org - Portland Civil Rights: Lift Ev'ry Voice

Here is the worksheet that goes along with the documentary:

Google Drive - Lift Ev'ry Voice Documentary Questions

I think it is super important that we understand our own history regarding race in Portland, especially as I think there are some common assumptions that are just not true. As such, I was glad to see that almost everyone was glued to this in class. Thanks for your focus and willingness to learn about our own history! It was great to hear student responses after the film about what they learned.

Study Time: The rest of class was devoted to study time for the upcoming final next week. Here is the study guide for the final (part multiple choice, part short answer reflection) that I passed out in class:

Google Drive - Government Semester Final Study Guide

Next class, we will be playing Jeopardy to review these concepts and then have one last study session before finals. Thanks for your effort here!

State and Local Government, Day 7 - Class Recap

Rowena Crest Viewpoint, near Moiser, Oregon. Photo taken in 2016.

Dear class

I enjoyed talking with everyone about the government today, and also our work with analyzing how race has impacted our state and local government, especially in Portland. Here's what happened in class today:

Learning Targets Addressed:

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

Soundtrack: "Another Brick in the Wall (Part II)" by Pink Floyd. Selected for today because of the ongoing controversy about the border wall, which helped shut down the federal government over the weekend. Lyrics here.

AGENDA 1/23/18:
News Brief – Avery (Kayla, Ernesto, CJ, Calvin, Erick)
Review Packet
Lift Ev'ry Voice

Homework: Read the blog. Continue studying for finals! Next news brief: Marian.

News Brief: Avery had the news brief today and selected an article about this story: NYTimes.com - Government Shutdown Ends After 3 Days of Recriminations. We talked about this story and what happened with the shutdown over the weekend, before moving on.

Review Packet: Last class, I passed out this packet, which should be treated as a Study Guide for the State and Local government portion of the final test:

Google Drive - State and Local Government Reading/Questions

This reading went over all sorts of different aspects of State and Local governments. We went through the answers together in class as our last new content before the final next week.

Lift Ev'ry Voice: With our last few days before the final, I wanted to focus on how our state and local community has acted with regards to race - specifically, the black community in Portland. To start, I showed this article that (while pretty long) does a great job at going into detailed history here:

Gizmodo.com - Oregon Was Founded As a Racist Utopia

We then watched the first part of an excellent recent documentary from OPB, called Lift Ev'ry Voice. We still have about 40 minutes next class to watch, but if you want to watch again, share, or get caught up, it is here:

OPB.org - Portland Civil Rights: Lift Ev'ry Voice

Here is the worksheet that goes along with the documentary:

Google Drive: Lift Ev'ry Voice Documentary Questions

I think it is super important that we understand our own history regarding race in Portland, especially as I think there are some common assumptions that are just not true. As such, I was glad to see that almost everyone was glued to this in class. I'm looking forward to finishing it up next time and discussing it!

See you on Thursday, everyone!

State and Local Government, Day 6 - Class Recap

Cannon Beach, Oregon. Photo taken in 2007.

Dear class,

Today we continued the last unit of the semester with the State and Local packet. Here's what happened in class today:

Learning Targets Addressed:

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

Soundtrack: "I Will Buy You A New Life" by Everclear. Selected for today because the song references Portland ("way up in the West Hills") and the band is from the city. Lyrics here.

AGENDA 1/19/18:
News Brief – David (Kayla, Ernesto, CJ, Calvin, Erick)
Presentations
State and Local Packet
Work Time

Homework: Read the blog. Prepare for finals! Next news brief: Avery (and anyone who has not presented yet).

News Brief: David had the news brief today and selected an article about this story to talk about: TheVerge.com - Here’s how Hawaii’s emergency alert design led to a false alarm. We checked in about this story and the possible implications, as well as updates on the finals schedule, before moving on to talk about the government shutdown that could happen tonight.

Presentations: We finished the State and Local presentations in class today - I will aim to have these projects graded by next week, so you know where you are going into finals!

State and Local Packet: After the presentations, I passed out this packet, which should be treated as a Study Guide for the State and Local government portion of the final test:

Google Drive - State and Local Government Reading/Questions

This reading went over all sorts of different aspects of State and Local governments. Important to know!

Work Time: Most of class was designated as work time, since it was the last day to turn in any missing work from the semester for me before finals. I went over grades individually with every student in the class. Thanks for your effort here! One more full week of the semester to go!

State and Local Government, Day 5 - Class Recap

My view of Mt. Hood and Lost Lake on final approach into Portland International Airport last year.

Dear class,

Today was another presentation day for the last major assignment of the year: the State and Local project. Here's what happened in class today:

Learning Targets Addressed:

Knowledge LT 2: I can demonstrate an understanding of the role of governments in current issues.
Knowledge LT 6: I can demonstrate an understanding of the principles, structures, and functions of different levels of U.S. government.
Research LT 5: I can effectively conduct and apply research.
Critical Thinking and Reasoning LT 3: I can apply understanding of ideas and concepts to a new context or problem. 

Soundtrack: "Talk" by Coldplay. Selected for today because students continued to talk about their State and Local projects in class. Lyrics here.

AGENDA 1/17/18:
News Brief – Kayla, Ernesto, CJ, and Calvin
State/Local Presentations
Late Work?

Homework: Read the blog. All late work needs to be turned in by Friday! Next news brief (just find a news story - does not need to be a write up): David.

News Brief: No students were present in class who had a remaining news brief, so we skipped this for today. I assigned David to bring in an article to talk about (no write up, since he has already done one) for next class.

State/Local Project: The class was entirely taken up after the news brief by students continuing to share out their State and Local project with the class, as I asked questions. Here's the handout for the assignment:

Google Drive: State and Local Government Final Project

Overall, I was pleased by the projects and answers. At the very least, it did appear that most students did research and had put thought into their responses for the problem facing our community and possible solutions. Thank you, all! I am looking forward to reading more about your projects in your papers.

Late Work?: Please remember that all late work is due Friday if you want your grade to improve before finals! 

State and Local Government, Day 4 - Class Recap

Something I care a lot about in our local community is supporting the Portland Thorns women's professional soccer team. I helped paint this banner for the start of last season! Photo taken in 2015.

Hi everyone,

Today was almost entirely devoted to State and Local Project Presentations. Here's what happened in class today:

Learning Targets Addressed:

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

Soundtrack: "Pride (In the Name of Love)" by U2. Selected for today because the song is in large part about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who we honor on Monday with a day of service! Lyrics here.

AGENDA 1/12/18:
News Brief – Jacqueline
Prep Time
State and Local Presentations
Readings/Questions

Homework: Read the blog. All late work is due by next Friday. Next news brief: Kayla, Ernesto, CJ, Calvin.

News Brief: Jacqueline had the news brief today and selected an article about this story to talk about: TIME.com - Trump's Decision to Expel Salvadoran Immigrants Reverses an American Tradition. Since we had just talked about citizenship in America and the process to become a citizen, we also talked about what is happening here.

We also checked in about the weekend. Please remember that although you have Monday off of school, the whole idea behind the holiday for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is that it should be a day of service to the community in some way. As such, there are a ton of events that people can participate in around town - or, you could take the initiative to do something else in our community. Here's a list:

HandsOnPortland.org - Martin Luther King Jr. Weekend of Service Events

I (Mr. Fritz) memorably had David send me this video in 2016 after I implored my Global Studies student to participate in service on MLK Day:

Twitter.com - @zackpatton11: Picking up trash on MLK day

Please participate in service in some way! :-)

Prep Time: After the news brief, we had some time to prep for the state and local presentations as I set up the room.

State and Local Presentations: Thank you for your work and for the class in focusing and respecting the presentations. It was good to see the thought and effort put into these and making possible solutions! I enjoyed hearing all about the ideas for possible solutions in our state and local community! If you have not presented yet, you will be asked to do so next class. Thanks, everyone!

State and Local Government, Day 3 - Class Recap

Another beautiful place in our amazing State of Oregon: the Wooden Shoe Tulip Festival in Woodburn. Photo taken in 2015.

Dear class,

Busy times! Today was our last day of in class work on the State and Local project. Here's what happened in class today:

Learning Targets Addressed:

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

Soundtrack: "Battlefield" by Jordin Sparks. Selected for today because the end of the semester can feel like a series of battles. Keep working hard, everyone! Lyrics here.

AGENDA 1/10/18:
News Brief – Marie
State/Local Project
Work Time
Grade Check

Homework: Read the blog. Your State/Local final project is due to be turned in and presented next class! Next news brief: Jacqueline, Kayla, Ernesto, CJ, Erick, and Calvin.

News Brief: Marie had the news brief today and selected an article about this story to talk about: NYTimes.com - Trump Appears to Endorse Path to Citizenship for Millions of Immigrants. I showed the video from this story to the class and talked about how President Trump is saying two incompatible things about the Dream Act and his desire for a border wall to be paid for by the government.

We also talked about what students were up to outside of class. I spent the evening last night with President Obama's Official Photographer, Pete Souza, who was at a book talk in Portland! I brought in his book to share with students who were interested in seeing some behind the scenes photos of the presidency.

State/Local Project: We kept working on this project, which is a two page paper, with at least three MLA citations, about a local issue that you care about. Here's the handout:

Google Drive: State and Local Government Final Project

We went through this together again, and then continued working on it in class.

Work Time/Grade Check: The rest of class was spent working on Chromebooks, researching for the State and Local project and writing about an issue that you care about in our local community as I checked in with students about grades again. Next class, on Friday, you will be presenting about your problem and turning your paper in. Thanks for your hard work, everyone!

State and Local Government, Day 2 - Class Recap

As we continue to work in class on the State and Local project, here is a picture I took last year of Oregon's only National Park: Crater Lake.

Hi everyone,

Today was our second work day in class on the State and Local government project. I also updated everyone on what needed to be done as we approach finals. Here's what happened in class today:

Learning Targets Addressed:

Knowledge LT 2: I can demonstrate an understanding of the role of governments in current issues.
Knowledge LT 6: I can demonstrate an understanding of the principles, structures, and functions of different levels of U.S. government.
Research LT 5: I can effectively conduct and apply research.
Critical Thinking and Reasoning LT 3: I can apply understanding of ideas and concepts to a new context or problem. 

Soundtrack: "Coming Home" by Mat Kearney. Selected for today because this is a song about Oregon (played after the first quarter at Oregon Ducks football home games). Lyrics here.

AGENDA 1/8/17:
News Brief – Jacqueline
Citing Sources
State/Local Project
Work Time

Homework: Read the blog. Turn in your Citizenship Paper on Google Classroom if you have not yet! Continue working on your State/Local final project (due to be presented on Friday). Next news brief: Marie.

News Brief: Jacqueline had the news brief today, but forgot her binder, so I filled in and selected an article about this story to talk about: CNN.com - Sources: Oprah Winfrey 'actively thinking' about running for president. This was an interesting article to talk about today, as the Golden Globes were last night and Oprah had a very powerful speech.

Marie has the next news brief.

Citing Sources: Because so many students seemed to stumble on this part with the Citizenship Paper, and because the State and Local project has it as a requirement as well, I spent some time in class going over how to cite sources in MLA format. Some links that may help with this:

Purdue OWL - MLA Works Cited: Electronic Sources 

Purdue OWL - MLA In-Text Citations: The Basics

EasyBib.com

A works cited page at the end of your research paper is a requirement, as is utilizing in-text citations. EasyBib really helps with the works cited page for electronic resources!

State/Local Project: The final assignment for the unit is this project, which is a two page paper, with at least three MLA citations, about a local issue that you care about. It will be due on Friday in class, and you will be asked to give a short (like a minute or two) presentation. Here's the handout:

Google Drive: State and Local Government Final Project

We went through this together, and then had work time in class.

Work Time: The rest of class was spent on Chromebooks, working on researching for the State and Local project and writing about an issue that you care about in our local community. When I was checking in with students, it appeared that most had a great start as far as selecting issues and beginning to work on the project. Next class, we will be have our last in class day to continue working. Please let me know if you have any questions about what to do! See you on Wednesday!

State and Local Government, Day 1 - Class Recap

The beach at Puerto Vallarta, on Christmas Eve, 2015.

Dear class,

Welcome back from Winter Break! Today, I introduced the last major assignment of the year, with the State/Local government project. Here's what happened in class today:

Learning Targets Addressed:

Knowledge LT 2: I can demonstrate an understanding of the role of governments in current issues.
Knowledge LT 6: I can demonstrate an understanding of the principles, structures, and functions of different levels of U.S. government.
Research LT 5: I can effectively conduct and apply research.
Critical Thinking and Reasoning LT 3: I can apply understanding of ideas and concepts to a new context or problem. 

Soundtrack: "Welcome Back" by Ma$e. Selected for today for obvious reasons. Lyrics here.

AGENDA 1/4/18:
News Brief – Mr. Fritz
Welcome Back
State/Local Government
Project Work

Homework: Read the blog. Turn in any missing/incomplete work - especially the Citizenship Paper from last class if you did not finish. Next news brief: Jacqueline.

News Brief: I had the news brief today and selected an article about this story to talk about: CNN.com - Sessions to nix Obama-era rules leaving states alone that legalize pot. This was a story that just came out this morning, which could potentially have impacts on the state of Oregon, as we have legalized recreational marijuana.

I also talked about the reason I was absent from school just before Winter Break started: my uncle and aunt were killed in a bus accident in Mexico that made the news, here: WashingtonPost.com - Americans among 12 killed in bus crash during Mexican cruise excursion. After my dad's death, I became even closer with my Uncle Andy and Aunt Jody, so their deaths are especially hard to fathom, as well. The memorial service for both of them is this Saturday in Olympia, Washington. It was a very challenging break, for sure. I appreciate everyone's kindness and understanding during this time.

Jacqueline was selected to do the next news brief.

Unit Overview: Today, we started our work with State and Local government unit (our last main one before the end of the semester). To begin, I had students do a simple fill-in-the-blank overview of the main concepts. The completed form is here:

Google Drive: State/Local Government Completed Overview

This was meant as a general overview. We will get into some specifics in the coming days.

State/Local Project: The final assignment for the unit is this project, which is a two page paper, with at least three MLA citations, about a local issue that you care about. It will be due in a few days (we have at least the next two days in class to be working on it), and you will probably be asked to give a short (like a minute or two) presentation. Here's the handout:

Google Drive: State/Local Government Project

I went through the assignment in depth in class, and talked about possible issues for students to research. Basically, go with something you are interested in! It's really up to you - just run it by me, first! The rest of the class was spent working on the Chromebooks, researching for the State and Local assignment, I think most students are set with knowing what their problem is and how to research it. We will continue doing this next class. Thanks!

State and Local Government, Day 8 - Class Recap

The Painted Hills in Central Oregon. Photo taken in May of 2017.

Hi everyone,

One more class until finals, next week! As such, I did not introduce any new content and I allowed students to work on whatever they wanted as we watched a documentary in class. Here's what we did today in class:

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

Soundtrack: "So Many Tears" by 2Pac. Selected for today because the documentary was about the tearing apart of America by political lines.

AGENDA 6/14/17:

News Brief – Ziggy
Oregon Occupation
Finals Prep
Questions?

Homework: Read the blog! Study for your final test! Next news brief: Autumn.

---

News Brief: Ziggy had the news brief today and selected an article about this story to talk about: CNN.com - Republican House Whip Steve Scalise, congressional staffer shot in Virginia shooting. This was breaking news as of this morning, and so we tried to understand what happened with this event.

The next news brief was assigned to Autumn.

After the earthquake/fire drill, we also went through the worksheet for Lift Ev'ry Voice (the documentary we watched last class) and talked about what we learned. Thanks for your thoughts here!

Oregon Occupation: This is a PBS Frontline documentary that just came out a couple of weeks ago, on what happened with the recent occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Eastern Oregon, and what the protest is about in regards to wanting local control over federal lands. Here it is to watch it again (or if you missed class) you are interested:

PBS.org - Frontline: American Patriot

I hope you found this interesting!

Finals Prep/Questions: Here it is (at least, the first page), if you missed class or wanted to see it again:

Google Drive - Government Semester Final Study Guide

See you on Friday, for Jeopardy review, before finals next week!

State and Local Government, Day 7 - Class Recap

The famous "White Stag" building sign in downtown Portland. Photo taken over Winter Break, 2015.

Hi everyone,

It is a busy last week before finals week! Here's what happened in class:

Learning Targets Addressed:

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

Soundtrack: "Summertime Sadness" by Lana Del Rey and Cedric Gervais. Selected for today because it is almost summer, but we unfortunately still have plenty of work to do for finals! Lyrics here.

AGENDA 6/12/17:
News Brief – Sarah
Lift Ev'ry Voice
Discussion
Study Time

Homework: Read the blog. Continue studying for finals! Next news brief: Ziggy.

News Brief: Sarah had the news brief today and selected an article about this story: CNN.com - Donald Trump just held the weirdest Cabinet meeting ever. We watched a bit of this video before moving on to check in about what we have been up to outside of class.

Lift Ev'ry Voice/Discussion: We finished watching an excellent recent documentary from OPB, called Lift Ev'ry Voice. If you want to watch again, share, or get caught up, it is here:

OPB.org - Portland Civil Rights: Lift Ev'ry Voice

Here is the worksheet that goes along with the documentary:

Google Drive: Lift Ev'ry Voice Documentary Questions

I think it is super important that we understand our own history regarding race in Portland, especially as I think there are some common assumptions that are just not true. As such, I was glad to see that almost everyone was glued to this in class. Thanks for your focus and willingness to learn about our own history! It was great to hear student responses after the film about what they learned.

Study Time: The rest of class was devoted to study time for the upcoming final next week. Next class, we will be watching another documentary and also studying, before playing Jeopardy to review on Friday.

State and Local Government, Day 6 - Class Recap

Rowena Crest Viewpoint, near Moiser, Oregon. Photo taken in 2016.

Dear class

I enjoyed talking with everyone about their projects today, and also our work with analyzing how race has impacted our state and local government, especially in Portland. Here's what happened in class today:

Learning Targets Addressed:

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

Soundtrack: "Coming Home" by Mat Kearney. Selected for today because it is a song about Oregon. Lyrics here.

AGENDA 6/8/17:
News Brief – Alyssa
State and Local Presentations
Lift Ev'ry Voice
Discussion

Homework: Read the blog. Continue studying for finals! Next news brief: Sarah.

News Brief: Alyssa had the news brief today and selected an article about this story: CNN.com - James Comey testifies: Live updates. This was still a developing story in class, so I tried to summarize what the former FBI director said in his testimony in Congress today.

State and Local Presentations: We finished presenting these! Woo hoo! If you have not turned in the corresponding paper, please do so ASAP, as I will be grading these soon.

Lift Ev'ry Voice: With our last few days before the final, I wanted to focus on how our state and local community has acted with regards to race - specifically, the black community in Portland. To start, I showed this article that (while pretty long) does a great job at going into detailed history here:

Gizmodo.com - Oregon Was Founded As a Racist Utopia

We then watched the first part of an excellent recent documentary from OPB, called Lift Ev'ry Voice. We still have about 40 minutes next class to watch, but if you want to watch again, share, or get caught up, it is here:

OPB.org - Portland Civil Rights: Lift Ev'ry Voice

Here is the worksheet that goes along with the documentary:

Google Drive: Lift Ev'ry Voice Documentary Questions

I think it is super important that we understand our own history regarding race in Portland, especially as I think there are some common assumptions that are just not true. As such, I was glad to see that almost everyone was glued to this in class. I'm looking forward to finishing it up next time and discussing it!

See you next week, everyone!

State and Local Government, Day 5 - Class Recap

Today was the sunset for the seniors in our class! I am wishing them all the best and success in life! Photo taken in 2007, over California.

Dear class,

Another disjointed day today, due to the seniors needing to take their finals in class, and rest of the class just using the class as a study period, before more State and Local Government presentations. Here's what happened in class today:

Learning Targets Addressed:

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

Soundtrack: "Good Life" by OneRepublic. Selected for today because of the seniors last day! On with the rest of their life soon! Lyrics here.

AGENDA 6/6/17:
News Brief – Genevieve
Senior Finals
Study Time
State and Local Presentations

Homework: Read the blog. Continue studying for finals! Thank you, seniors! Next news brief: Alyssa.

News Brief: Genevieve had the news brief today and selected an article about this story to talk about: BBC.com - US contractor Reality Winner arrested after NSA leak report. We talked a little bit about this story and the continuing developments about Russia's involvement in our elections. Alyssa has the next news brief.

Senior Finals: During this time, seniors were taking their final in class. Thanks for respecting their time and effort with being quiet! I hope they went well for the seniors! I am grateful for their effort this semester and I am wishing them all the best! Keep in touch, class of 2017!

Study Time: The rest of class (as seniors were taking the test) was devoted to reviewing for the final. Here's the study guide I passed out for that:

Google Drive - Government Semester Final Study Guide

Students who were in class also got a more detailed study guide on the back side of this. Come see me if you missed class for this. Thank you!

State and Local Presentations: We will continue with these as we have time to do so! Next class, we will have students who have not presented their projects yet talk about what they did, in terms of identifying a problem, coming up with solutions, and implementing the solution.

Thanks everyone, and especially all of the seniors!