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 11/30/16:
News Brief – Sam
Finish Landmark Cases
Mock Trial Prep
Work Time

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

News Brief: Sam had the news brief today and selected this article to talk about: OregonLive.com - Wisconsin moving forward with recount thanks to Jill Stein. We had a good in class discussion about this story and what will happen next with the recount (and if it will make any difference in the outcome of the election). I enjoyed all the student comments and questions here - thanks everyone!

Komi was assigned to do the next news brief.

Landmark Case Reading: 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 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! Have a great weekend! :-)

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 11/22/16:
News Brief – Ellie S.
Review Executive Test
Cases Teens Should Know
Landmark Cases

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

News Brief: Ellie S. had the news brief today and selected an article about this story to talk about: CNN.com - Trump: Pence 'harassed' by 'Hamilton' cast. This was a big story over the weekend, which clearly deals with the Executive Branch, as well as the First Amendment. Lots to talk about, for sure!

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

Sam 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: 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!

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 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. :-)

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 levels 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 11/18/16:
News Brief – Addie
Executive Branch Test
Judicial Branch Overview
Cases Every Teen Should Know

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

News Brief: Addie had the news brief today and selected this article to talk about: OregonLive.com - Washington state senator to propose bill criminalizing 'illegal protests'. We discussed this story and the importance of allowing dissent in the country, before moving on to talk about the upcoming weekend.

Ellie S. 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 later today. 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 (which was copied incorrectly, so we were only able to do a few of the cases - I will pass out the full reading next class):

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.

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

Next class, we will finish this, discuss, then move on to some more case studies.

Thanks! See you next time! :-)

Executive Branch, Day 6 - Class Recap

The Washington Monument, in Washington, D.C. Named after our first President, George Washington! Photo taken in 2010.

Hi everyone,

I enjoyed playing the role of the President today and hearing all of the various different policy proposals for the federal government! Next class, we will finish up with the unit and take the Executive Branch test. Here's what happened today in class:

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

Soundtrack: "Paris, Tokyo" by Lupe Fiasco. Selected for today because it's a really good song, and also, the Department of State has to talk with countries all around the world. Lyrics here.

AGENDA 11/16/16:
News Brief – Sevin
Cabinet Simulation
Study Guide
Executive Review

Homework: 1) Read the blog. Congratulations for doing this!

2) Study for the executive branch test:

Review the key terms and readings on the Study Guide. For instance, The Presidency reading will help. Also, study the cabinet descriptions reading. You might want to download the pdf and then rotate the page (because it is in landscape format). Or, just turn your head, I guess)!

A test question you will see (thanks for checking the blog!) is: All of the following are duties of the President EXCEPT:

A) Receive Ambassadors. B) Judge the Supreme Court. C) Give a State of the Union Address. D) Ensure that laws are faithfully executed.

If you want to, guess in the comments and I will tell you if you are right!

Next news brief: Addie.

News Brief: Sevin had the news brief today and selected an article about this story to talk about: OregonLive.com - Multnomah County opens women and couples homeless shelter in Southeast Portland. We talked in class for a bit during the introduction, as well as during the cabinet department simulation, about the importance of providing homeless shelters. Thanks, Sevin.

Addie was selected to do the next news brief.

Cabinet Simulations: I really enjoyed listening to everyone talk about their departments, problems, and possible solutions! Although it appears many students did not have their packets or papers done (please turn them in to me as soon as possible), I was pleased to hear some knowledge and response to my questions as the President! Here are the questions students were answering as a part of this activity:

1) What is your department?
2) What is a problem your department is facing?
3) What are your possible solutions to the problem?
4) How much money will it cost?

It was great to have this discussion in class, and I'm sure everyone is better prepared for the test as a result of going through the various different departments.

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

Please make sure to ask me if you are at all confused about anything! Thank you so much for your hard work!

Executive Branch, Day 5 - Class Recap

The American Cemetery in Normandy, France. Selected for today because Veterans Day was last week.

Hi everybody,

Today was the sole work day in class for the Cabinet Project. Here's what happened today in class:

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

Soundtrack: "If You're Out There" by John Legend. Selected for today because it was a theme song of President Obama's in 2008. Lyrics here.

AGENDA 11/14/16:
News Brief - Miguel
Election Review
Cabinet Project

Homework: Read the blog. Complete the Cabinet project assignment and be ready to present with your partner in a classroom cabinet meeting next class. Next news brief: Sevin.

News Brief: Miguel had the news brief today and we discussed the huge news in the country with Donald Trump being elected the next President of the United States. See below for more details.

Sevin has the next news brief.

We also watched Wildcat News today in class, so here it is if you missed class or wanted to see it again:

Election Review: So clearly, there was a lot to talk about with the election. We looked at the Electoral College results, which gave Donald Trump the victory (as I was saying all semester long, it is not about who wins the most votes across the country, which Hillary Clinton is all but assured of doing by around a million votes). We talked about the five states that FiveThirtyEight.com got wrong in their final predictions, as well as why that might have been (Wisconsin, Michigan, and Pennsylvania coming as the biggest upsets). We also discussed the other branches of government, with the Republicans also taking control of the House and Senate, and President-elect Trump getting to appoint the next Supreme Court justice, as well. Finally, we checked in about Oregon's elections and the consequences of the votes here. I also took questions from the class about what comes next for the government.

Cabinet Project: Here's a link to the cabinet project (advising the President) that we worked on in class today:

Google Drive - Presidential Cabinet Assignment Handout

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

Agriculture: Harmony and Avery
Commerce: Josh
Defense: Sam and Liam
Education: Amber and Carrington
Energy: Keane and David
Health and Human Services: Maryana and Ireland
Housing and Urban Development: Auriel and Sydney
Interior: Addie
Justice: Ellie R. and Danielle
Labor: Miguel and Takumi
Transportation: Sevin and Juliette
Treasury: Brandon
Veteran’s Affairs: Dylan and Nick
Homeland Security: Connery and TyShawn
Environmental Protection Agency: Kenny and Komi
State: Asher and Ellie S
US Mission to the United Nations: Xavier

If you missed class, please see where you are on the list and what you are doing! Remember that I am mostly concerned with your 1-2 page paper for Team Member A or B that is near the end of the packet, along with the presentation.

This is due to be presented next class, so I hope you worked hard and do not have much homework (if any) left to complete. If you do, and are confused or need help, please let me know and I will try to get back to you ASAP! See you on Wednesday!

Executive Branch, Day 4 - Class Recap

On the roof of the Bundestag building in Berlin, Germany. This is where the government of Germany meets. Photo taken in 2013.

Hi everyone,

Welcome to a shortened week, with Veterans Day on Friday and a staff development day on Thursday! I really enjoyed the discussion and festive atmosphere in class. I'm sure it was a nice change from all of the writing students have had to do in the last few days for the class! Here's what happened in class:

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

Soundtrack: "The Final Countdown" by Europe. Selected for today because it is the final countdown (of hours!) until the end of the 2016 Presidential Election! Lyrics here.

AGENDA 11/8/16:
News Brief – David
The Election
Advertisements
Cabinet Project

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

News Brief: David had the news brief today and selected an article about this story: NYTimes.com - What Time Will the Polls Close? (And When Will We Know Who Won?). This was a great transition to talking about what is going on today!

Miguel was selected to do the next news brief.

I also asked about the weekend and what people were up to.

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

1) The FiveThirtyEight.com election forecast. I have been showing this all semester in class, and it appears that the polls have recently tightened a bit, though Hillary Clinton is still favored to win a majority of the time. As a reminder: it is not who wins the most votes in the country, it is who wins the amount of states that add up to at least 270 electoral votes that wins.

2) A map of poll closing times for each state, when results begin to be announced. Yay for geography and maps! I pointed out some keys in the early states to look for in terms of who might be ahead. Virginia and Georgia at 4:00 PM are two examples of important indicators. At 8:00 PM on the West Coast, polls close, and it is likely that within the next couple of hours after that, we will know who will be the next President of the United States.

3) A map of how long it took to determine who won each state in 2012. Helpful to know how long things might take!

Along with this, I had students go to 270towin.com and try to construct the Electoral College map they thought would happen tonight, then screenshot it and send it to me on Google Classroom. So cool! Thanks, everyone!

Advertisements: This was another Google Classroom assignment, in analyzing campaign mail that I have been sent over the past few weeks. Hopefully you found this interesting, as well!

Cabinet Project: We will start this next class!

See you on next Monday, when we will surely have lots to talk about! :-)

Executive Branch, Day 3 - Class Recap

Then Senator Barack Obama when he visited Portland near the start of his Presidential campaign in 2007.

Dear class,

Today, we started the Cabinet Project. The Presidential Cabinet is a very important part of how the Executive Branch functions. Here's what happened today in class:

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

Soundtrack: "Get Ready for This" by 2 Unlimited. Intended as a pump up song for Friday, the Cabinet Project, and the playoff football game tonight! Here's a link to the version I played in class, from ESPN's "Jock Jams" CD.

AGENDA 11/4/16:
News Brief - Juliette
Election Update
The Presidency
Cabinet Project

Homework: Read the blog. Bring in supplies for the Election Party! Study the cabinet descriptions reading. You might want to download the pdf and then rotate the page (because it is in landscape format). Or, just turn your head, I guess)! Think about what you want to select for the Cabinet project. Next news brief: David.

News Brief: Juliette had the news brief today, and selected this article to talk about with the class: NYTimes.com - How States Moved to Stricter Voter ID Laws. Juliette was not in class, but helpfully emailed her news brief to me last night, so I talked about this article and why voter ID laws and early voting location changes help restrict access to voting.

David volunteered to do the next news brief.

Election Update: There are only 4 more days until the election! We checked in with the latest Electoral College map on FiveThirtyEight.com and noted that Donald Trump has been gaining lately in the polls. We will do a LOT with the election next class, which I am really looking forward to! My first time being a Government teacher during a Presidential election!

The Presidency: We finished going through The Presidency reading and questions today in class:

Google Drive - The Presidency Reading

These are the questions that go along with the reading:

Google Drive - The Presidency Questions

Cabinet Departments: For this section, we went over what the various different presidential cabinet departments are responsible for. We also watched this video, so everyone could see what it looks like in real life:

We will be doing a similar sort of activity in class, with me playing the role of the President and the class taking on the various department heads!

Cabinet Project: Here's a link to the cabinet project (advising the President) that we looked at in class today:

Google Drive - Presidential Cabinet Assignment Handout

We will sign up for these next class. See you next week - on Election Day!

Executive Branch, Day 2 - Class Recap

Inside the Jefferson Memorial in Washington, D.C. Photo taken in 2010.

Hi everyone,

Today, we heard from Deputy Scott Haley, our Student Support Officer here at Westview, and also went through more introduction to the Executive Branch. Here's what happened today in class:

Learning Targets Addressed:
Knowledge LT 1: I can demonstrate an understanding of the interplay between citizens and their governments.
Knowledge LT 3: I can demonstrate an understanding of how individuals and non-governmental institutions interact with each other and the government in shaping politics.
Knowledge LT 5: I can demonstrate an understanding of the principles, structures, and functions of different levels of U.S. government.

Soundtrack: "Born in the U.S.A" by Bruce Springsteen. Selected for today because the song is typically seen as representing patriotic themes, but a closer look at the lyrics (as we did in class) show that the song is really about a deep dissatisfaction with American culture and government.

AGENDA 11/2/16:
News Brief – Brandon
Deputy Haley
CRLE Forms
Review Legislative Test

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

News Brief: Brandon had the news brief today and selected this article to talk about in class: CNBC.com - Obama Says Sexism to Blame for Close Presidential Race. This was an interesting story, and I wish we could have discussed this more in class, but since Deputy Haley was coming, I made it somewhat short, before showing the latest update on FiveThirtyEight.com

We selected Juliette to do the next news brief at the end of class.

Deputy Haley: Much of the rest of class was devoted to Scott Haley, who is the officer here at Westview. Scott talked about his experience with being the Student Support Officer here this year. Hopefully, you enjoyed hearing him talk with the class, because I definitely did!

CRLE Forms: As a part of the guest speaker coming in, students filled out a Career Related Learning Experience form (I believe you need to have 4 of these completed as a graduation requirement). I did turn all of these into the counseling office for anyone that did it. I will try to have my mom come in near the end of the semester for a second opportunity, as well.

Review Legislative Test: We did not have time to get to this today, but your grades are in StudentVUE, and we will come back to this next class.

Thanks, everyone!