The Constitution, Day 2 - Class Recap

Fireworks over Niagara Falls, in 2009. 

Hi everyone,

Thanks for continuing to work on getting to know the Constitution better! I know it may not be the most fun part of class, but it is so important for knowing the foundations of how our government works! Here's what we did today in class:

Learning Targets Addressed: 
SS.HS.KN.ALT.04: I can explain how different ideological movements and philosophies shape politics.
SS.HS.CO.ALT.05: I can communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing.

Soundtrack: "Be Prepared" from The Lion King. Selected for today because you should be prepared for the Constitution test next class. Lyrics here.

AGENDA 2/19/15:
News Brief - Gabriella
Philosophy Quiz Review
The Constitution
The Bill of Rights

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

News Brief: Today's article was brought in by Gabriella, who selected this story: StatesmanJournal.com - Bill would give terminal patients access to unapproved drugs. What an interesting story! This really shows how the government can really have a huge impact on people's lives - especially if they are dying of cancer and want one last shot at staying alive.

Quiz Review: After the news brief, I passed out graded quizzes from last class. I actually felt like I was pretty easy on the grading, but the class average was still around a D for it. If you did not hit proficiency, you definitely need to study and retake it, please! If you have not taken it, please find a time to do so soon. You will also have the opportunity on the Constitution test to demonstrate proficiency with the Philosophy target again.

The Constitution: Finally, we went through the worksheet answers about what makes up the U.S. Constitution. I enjoyed all of your questions and trying to explain the answers! Please make sure to study these for the test next class. If you missed class the last two times, here it is to download and fill out by reading the Constitution:

Google Drive: Understanding the Constitution Handout

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

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

The answer would be C.

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

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

After this, we went through the Amendments and tried to put them in our own words. Next class, we will continue this and look more in depth at the first few amendments. All of this is so important - it is how our country runs! See you next week!