Finals Prep, Day 1 - Class Recap

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

Hi everyone,

One more week until our last class together before semester finals and I say goodbye to everyone, and welcome a new group of Government students next semester! 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: "Talk" by Coldplay. Selected for today because we continued talking about the role of State and Local government. Lyrics here. 

AGENDA 1/31/17:

News Brief – Josh
State and Local Packet
Jeopardy Review
Finals Review

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

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News Brief: Josh had the news brief today and selected an article about this story to talk about: CNN.com - Trump fires acting AG after she declines to defend travel ban. We had an extended conversation at the start of class about all of the various actions taken by the Trump administration since our class last met. We discussed the travel ban on seven countries. We talked about the acting Attorney General being fired. We also talked for a bit about the impending Supreme Court nomination. There were plenty of good questions here - thanks, everyone.

The next news brief was assigned to Dylan.

State and Local Packet: I gave a few minutes after the news brief section to work on the State and Local reading and answers, which were the last "new" assignment of the semester. Here it is again if you want to see, if you want to study this section for the final:

Google Drive - State and Local Government Reading

We then went through the answers together as a class. Thanks for your participation here, everyone!

Jeopardy Review: Another fun session of Jeopardy with the class! This was to review content for the final, next week. If you want to see the slides again, here they are:

Google Drive - Government Jeopardy Final Review

Congratulations to Team 1/Fluffy Bunnies for coming out on top of the competition! I hope everyone had fun playing. We ended right as the bell rang!

Finals Review: 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 Thursday, where we will likely have a study day/watch something short and sweet. Thanks everyone!

State and Local Government, Day 6 - Class Recap

Cannon Beach, Oregon. Photo taken in 2007.

Dear class,

Today was our last real work day in class, as far as new content to do (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: "Pride (In the Name of Love)" by U2. Selected for today because the song is in large part about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and because today is PRIDE Friday at Westview. Lyrics here.

AGENDA 1/27/17:
News Brief – Ellie R.
State and Local Packet
Final Review
Work Time

Homework: Read the blog. Prepare for finals! Next news brief: Josh.

News Brief: Ellie R. had the news brief today but missed the start of class, so we talked generally about what is going on in the news, as well as updates on the finals schedule (yours is on Tuesday, February 7), before moving on.

State and Local Packet: After the news, 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! We will review the material next class.

Final Review/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. I also passed out the final review sheet, here:

Google Drive - Government Semester Final Study Guide

Next class, we will play Jeopardy to review for the final, go over the study guide, and then there will be study time. Have a great weekend!

State and Local Government, Day 5 - Class Recap

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

Hi everyone,

It was a busy last day before finals week in class today! 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: "So What" by Miles Davis. Selected for today because it was a bit of jazz to start class and we were talking about "so what" in terms of our own history with the black community in Portland.

AGENDA 1/25/17:
News Brief – Harmony
Lift Ev'ry Voice
Film Questions
State and Local Work

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

News Brief: Harmony had the news brief today and selected an article about this story: CNN.com - Examining the top contenders on Trump's Supreme Court list. We talked about this story, which will obviously have an enormous impact on our federal government, as well as a lot of other stories involving President Trump's first few days in office (there is plenty going on).

Lift Ev'ry Voice/Film Questions: 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.

In wrapping up the unit, I told the class that if they were interested in continuing to talk about issues such as race and ethnicity, they should consider forecasting for my new Diversity and Social Justice class here at Westview. It will be .5 elective credit, team teaching with Ms. Labossiere! If the course happens as we want it and you get it on your schedule, you would be guaranteed (we think!) of having me as your teacher for it, along with Ms. Labossiere. Here is a flyer to check out more information!

Google Drive - Diversity and Social Justice Class Flyer

Consider it as a part of your forecasting for next year! Forecasting will start in early February!

State and Local Work: We ended with not enough time to start this, so we will start next class. Please bring your Chromebook on Friday! Then next week we will do some review for the final. Your final will be on Tuesday, February 7th. So, we have three more classes together before the final, then one after (apparently). It has been a pleasure to be your teacher, so I will enjoy every last minute! :-)

State and Local Government, Day 4 - Class Recap

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

Dear class

I enjoyed talking with everyone about the new presidential administration 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: "Rebel Rebel" by David Bowie. Selected for today due to the women's march over the weekend. Lyrics here.

AGENDA 1/23/17:
Wildcat News Brief – David
State and Local Presentations
Lift Ev'ry Voice
Film Questions

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

Wildcat News Brief: David had the news brief today and selected an article about this story: ABCNews.com - Bush Ready to Leave Intensive Care, Wife Barbara Goes Home. We talked about this story and what happens when presidents pass away. The current living former presidents are Carter, Bush, Clinton, W Bush, and Obama.

We also discussed the women's marches around the country and world this past weekend, along with what the Trump administration has started doing in the first few days in office. I compared ObamaWhiteHouse.gov to the current WhiteHouse.gov to see what was different.

At the end of this section, we watched Wildcat News for the day, which is here if you missed class or wanted to see it again:

State and Local Presentations: We finished with presentations today in class! If you have not turned in the corresponding paper, please do so ASAP, as I will be grading these with your finals.

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 50 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 Wednesday, everyone!

State and Local Government, Day 3 - Class Recap

My view of Mt. Hood and Lost Lake on final approach into Portland International Airport in 2015.

Dear class,

Today was 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: "Ice Ice Baby" by Vanilla Ice. Selected for today because of the obvious connection to the snow and ice that shut down school for over a week! Lyrics here.

AGENDA 1/19/17:
News Brief – Maryana
Work Time
State/Local Project
Presentations

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

News Brief: Maryana had the news brief today and selected an article about this story: Politico.com - Distrust and empty desks could stunt Trump’s government. Thanks, Maryana! We discussed the inauguration tomorrow (today is President Obama's last day in office) as well as the protests in Portland this weekend, as a part of this story.

Work Time: Since it has been SO long since we last had class due to the snow/ice storm, I gave student about 30 minutes in class to finish up whatever they had for the State and Local Project.

State/Local Project Presentations: The rest of class was entirely taken up after the news brief by students sharing 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! Please be sure to submit them on Google Classroom! Next class, we will finish with the students I did not get to today.

Please remember that all late work is due by next Friday if you want your grade to improve before finals! Put it in the inbox in class if I am not there. Have a great weekend! See you next week - our last before finals (at least, that is the current plan)!

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 passed back grades and 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 1/10/17:
News Brief – Connery
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 next Tuesday). Next news brief: Maryana.

News Brief: Connery had the news brief today and selected an article about this story to talk about: TheIndependent.com - US troops deployed to Poland in response to 'Russian aggression'. This was an interesting article to talk about today, as the transition between President Obama and President-elect Trump in terms of our policy towards Russia is continuing. We talked about what NATO is as well as the impact this new troop deployment might have.

Maryana 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 next Tuesday in class, and you will probably 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 went to the computer lab.

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 Thursday!

State and Local Government, Day 1 - Class Recap

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

Dear class,

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: "Happy" by Pharrell. Selected for today because I am happy about the upcoming weekend and about the general positive feedback from students about how class is going. Lyrics here.

AGENDA 1/6/17:
News Brief – Ireland
Feedback Review
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: Connery.

News Brief: Ireland had the news brief today and selected an article about this story to talk about: CNN.com - New York governor proposes free tuition at state colleges. This was a great transition to talking about the role that state leaders have in setting public policy! We talked a bit about this idea in class, as well as the Oregon Promise (a similar sort of plan that has been implemented here).

Connery was selected to do the next news brief.

Feedback Review: Last class, I asked students to anonymously provide me feedback about how things were going. Here are the results from those questions:

Google Drive - Government Period 4 Class Feedback

Overall, it appears we like the community feel of the class, we know we need to work on our work ethic, you like me as a teacher, and I could work on a few things as well. Thanks, everyone!

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!

Citizenship Paper - Class Recap

I hope everyone had a great Winter Break! In 2015, I started by watching Oregon win the Rose Bowl, in Pasadena, California, with my mom and brother!

Welcome back, everyone!

It was really great to see you all today in class. I'm thankful that I have a job that I am so excited to come back to after Winter Break, to see everyone! 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: "Welcome Back" by Ma$e. Selected for obvious reasons. Lyrics here.

AGENDA 1/4/17:
News Brief – Sam
Review Winter Break
Class Feedback
Citizenship Paper

Homework: Read the blog. Turn in your citizenship paper if you did not in class on Google Classroom! Next news brief: Ireland.

News Brief: Sam had the news brief today and talked about this recent story: CNN.com - Bill, Hillary Clinton to attend Trump Inauguration. We then had a humorous (to say the least) check in about how Winter Break went. It was great to check in and hear what everyone was up to!

Class Feedback: I always enjoy asking my classes about how things are going, both with the class and with my teaching. I will review the anonymous feedback you gave and go over it with the class soon.

Citizenship Paper: This is meant as a short assignment, just so be able to demonstrate proficiency again with LT 1. Here's the assignment (which is due as homework if you did not finish in class):

Google Drive: Citizenship Paper Assignment

Again, I am just looking to see that you can identify and explain the basics of rights and responsibilities as a United States citizen. We will move on to looking in depth at State and Local government next class. Thank you!