Executive Branch, Day 5 - 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: "If You're Out There" by John Legend. Selected for today because it was a song that President Obama used to campaign, and we are in the Executive Branch unit. Lyrics here.

AGENDA 4/26/17:
News Brief – Kento
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: Alyssa Q.

News Brief: Kento had the news brief today and selected an article about this story to talk about: NYTimes.com - North Korea Is Said to Detain Another U.S. Citizen. We discussed this story for a bit, including ongoing tensions in the Korean peninsula and what the United States might be trying to do.

Alyssa Q. was selected to do the next news brief.

We also checked in about the weekend and what everyone was up to, before moving on.

Cabinet Simulation: 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? What responsibilities does it have?
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?

Here are the notes that I took during the presentation. If a name is in bold, that was because the other partner either wasn't in class, or did not share at all.

Google Drive: Notes from 4/26/2017 Cabinet Meeting - Period 4

I realize this took a long time to do (almost all of class), so thank you for your patience and understanding that it is important each student have a voice in the process.

Please turn in your papers (if not written by hand) into Google Classroom. I would love your paper copies of the notes in the packet, as well. Thanks!

Study Guide/Executive Review: Here is the study guide for the test, which will be 30 multiple choice questions (for LT5), plus the political spectrum again.

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 4 - Class Recap

The American Cemetery in Normandy, France. A reminder that with great power comes great responsibility.

Hi everybody,

Today was the final 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 1: I can communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing.
Research LT 1: I can effectively conduct and apply research.

Soundtrack: "God Moving Over the Face of the Waters" by Moby. Selected for today because it was the same as my soundtrack for Global Studies, where they are learning about religion, and because the President is not all powerful. This was an instrumental song with no lyrics. Listen to it again if you want here.

AGENDA 4/24/17:
Wildcat News Brief - Saige
Cabinet Project
Work Time

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: Kento.

Wildcat News Brief: Saige had the news brief today and talked about this story: SeattleTimes.com - 3 police officers shot in downtown Seattle. This was an interesting news brief, as it talked about law enforcement (part of the executive branch) in our northern neighbor.

Kento was assigned to do the next news brief.

We also checked in about the weekend and what everyone was up to. Always nice to hear about what people are doing outside of class!

Here is Wildcat News for the day if you missed class or wanted to watch it again:

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. If you have missed class the last two times, you need to select one that has either nobody or one person on it:

Agriculture: Sabrina and Sam C.
Commerce:
Defense: AJ and Justin
Education: Sam K. and Tanner
Energy: Cody and Alyssa Q.
Health and Human Services: Priya and Logan
Housing and Urban Development: Terra
Interior: Dylan
Justice: Veronica and Meaghan
Labor: Destinny and Saige
Transportation: Bryce
Treasury: Deven
Veteran’s Affairs: Mary and Mante
Homeland Security: Lauren and Kyla
Environmental Protection Agency: Alyssa I
US Mission to the United Nations:
State: Kento

If you missed class, please see where you are on the list and who your partner is!

Work Time: 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 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 1: I can communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing.
Research LT 1: I can effectively conduct and apply research.

Soundtrack: "Step in the Name of Love" by R. Kelly. Selected for today because of us stepping to start the Cabinet Project later in class. Lyrics here.

AGENDA 4/20/17:
News Brief - Mary Mr. Fritz
The Presidency
Cabinet Project
Work Time

Homework: Read the blog. 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)! Continue working on Cabinet project. Next news brief: Saige.

News Brief: Mary had the news brief today, but was not in class, so I filled in and selected this article to talk about with the class: CNN.com - Judge denigrated by Trump as 'Mexican' will hear key deportation case. We talked briefly about this article, and then discussed the horrors of ACT day yesterday, before moving on.

Saige was assigned to do the next news brief.

The Presidency: We finished going through The Presidency reading and questions:

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 worked on in class today:

Google Drive - Presidential Cabinet Assignment Handout

As a heads up, obamawhitehouse.gov might be better than whitehouse.gov currently for this assignment, since President Obama's has 8 years of content and development, while President Trump just started and does not have much there (if you can find stuff, please go ahead and use the current president's website)!

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

Agriculture: Sabrina and Sam C.
Commerce:
Defense: AJ and Justin
Education: Sam K. and Tanner
Energy: Cody and Alyssa Q.
Health and Human Services: Priya and Logan
Housing and Urban Development: Terra
Interior: Dylan
Justice: Veronica and Meaghan
Labor: Destinny and Saige
Transportation: Bryce
Treasury: Deven
Veteran’s Affairs: Mary and Mante
Homeland Security: Lauren and Kyla
Environmental Protection Agency: Alyssa I
US Mission to the United Nations:
State: Kento

If you missed class, please see where you are on the list and who your partner is!

Work Time: We spent the second half of class working on Chromebooks on this assignment. We will also spend much of next class doing this, and the cabinet project assignment will be due on Wednesday.

See you next class!

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: "Party in the USA" by Miley Cyrus. Selected for today because we are continuing to learn about American government! Lyrics here.

AGENDA 4/17/17:
Wildcat News Brief – Justin
Deputy Haley
CRLE Forms
Review Legislative Test

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

News Brief: Justin had the news brief today and selected this article to talk about in class: BBC.com - MOAB strike: 90 IS fighters killed in Afghanistan. We discussed this story (the dropping of the largest ever non-nuclear bomb) in Afghanistan and also the ongoing tension with what to do in terms of North Korea, as well.

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

We also watched Wildcat News in class (at the end of the period, due to wanting to respect Deputy Haley's time):

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!

Executive Branch, Day 1 - Class Recap

The White House, in Washington, D.C., where the President (the head of the Executive Branch of the United States government) lives. Photo taken in 2011.

Hi everyone,

Today was the Legislative Branch test in class, as well as the start of our unit on 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: "Thriller" by Michael Jackson. Selected for today because it was sort of a pump up song for the test! Lyrics here.

AGENDA 4/13/17:
News Brief – Lauren
Legislative Test
Executive Branch Overview
The Presidency
Questions for Deputy Haley

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

News Brief: Lauren had the news brief today and selected an article about this story to talk about in class: KTLA.com - 2 Girls Wearing Leggings Not Allowed on United Flight Because of Dress Code Rule; Incident Prompts Twitter Response. Wow, United has certainly had a bad string of events, hasn't it? We discussed this story and the airline policy for employee sponsored travel (a benefit for many airline employees to be able to travel with their family for free). Justin was selected to do the next news brief.

We also checked in about the weekend and what people were up to.

Legislative Test: I was generous in the lead up to this, as I went over basically the exact questions from the test and gave some study time before I passed it out. I should have grades for it available by next class (fingers crossed).

Executive Branch Overview: The next part of class was learning about the Executive Branch. Here are the answers to the sheet I passed out to start the unit:

Google Drive - Executive Branch Overview Notes

As part of going through this, I explained that the 2016 Presidential Election was decided by the Electoral College, not the popular vote (Clinton got the most votes in the country, but still lost the election). We will look more into this soon.

The Presidency: Here is the reading that we ended class with. It is not homework to complete (unless you missed class), but be familiar with the basics, as a future test will be based on it!

Google Drive - The Presidency Reading

These are the questions that go along with the reading:

Google Drive - The Presidency Questions

I am fully aware that this was not the most interesting class as far as new content goes. I think it will be more engaging soon!

Questions for Deputy Haley: At the end of class, we made some questions for Scott Haley, who is the officer here at Westview. Next class, Scott will come in and answer your questions, and talk about his experience with being the Student Support Officer here. In the past, this has been an awesome experience in learning more about law enforcement (directly related to the Executive Branch) and filling out a Career Related Learning Experience form (I believe you need to have 4 of these completed as a graduation requirement). I am looking forward to it! See you next class.

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!

Executive Branch, Day 1 - Class Recap

The White House, in Washington, D.C., where the President (the head of the Executive Branch of the United States government) lives. Photo taken in 2011.

Hi everyone,

Today was the Legislative Branch test in class, as well as the start of our unit on 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: "Thriller" by Michael Jackson. Selected for today because today is Halloween! Lyrics here.

AGENDA 10/31/16:
News Brief – Danielle
Legislative Test
Executive Branch Overview
The Presidency
Questions for Deputy Haley

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

News Brief: Danielle had the news brief today and selected an article about this story to talk about in class: NYTimes.com -  Justice Dept. Strongly Discouraged Comey on Move in Clinton Email Case. We discussed this story and the impact it might have on the presidential race, which ends next Tuesday, and checked in on the latest polls. Thanks, Danielle! Brandon was drawn as the next news brief.

We also checked in about the weekend and what people were up to. I have to say, my freshmen are much more eager to share than your class. I wonder why? :-)

If you missed class or wanted to see Wildcat News again, here it is:

Legislative Test: I was generous in the lead up to this, as I went over basically the exact questions from the test and gave some study time before I passed it out. I should have grades for it available by next class (fingers crossed).

Executive Branch Overview: The next part of class was learning about the Executive Branch. Here are the answers to the sheet I passed out to start the unit:

Google Drive - Executive Branch Overview Notes

As part of going through this, I explained that the 2000 Presidential Election was decided by the Electoral College, not the popular vote (Gore got the most votes in the country, but still lost the election). We will look more into this soon.

The Presidency: Here is the reading that we ended class with. It is not homework to complete (unless you missed class), but be familiar with the basics, as a future test will be based on it!

Google Drive - The Presidency Reading

These are the questions that go along with the reading:

Google Drive - The Presidency Questions

I am fully aware that this was not the most interesting class as far as new content goes. I think it will be more engaging soon!

Questions for Deputy Haley: At the end of class, we made some questions for Scott Haley, who is the officer here at Westview. Next class, Scott will come in and answer your questions, and talk about his experience with being the Student Support Officer here. In the past, this has been an awesome experience in learning more about law enforcement (directly related to the Executive Branch) and filling out a Career Related Learning Experience form (I believe you need to have 4 of these completed as a graduation requirement). I am looking forward to it! See you next class.

Judicial Branch, Day 1 - Class Recap

The United States Supreme Court building, in Washington, D.C. Photo taken in 2010.

Hi everyone,

Thanks for your focus today, as we took the Executive Branch test and then moved on to learning a bit about the Judicial Branch! Here's what happened today in class:

Learning Targets Addressed:

Knowledge LT 5: I can demonstrate an understanding of the principles, structures, and functions of different branches of U.S. government.

Soundtrack: "Spirit in the Sky" by Norman Greenbaum. Selected for today because of the Executive Branch test, and the possibility you were hoping for some divine intervention in doing well on it. Lyrics here.

AGENDA 4/21/16:
News Brief – Sophie
Executive Branch Test
Judicial Branch
10 Cases

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

News Brief: Sophie had the news brief today and selected this story to bring in: WashingtonPost.com - Did this gay pastor fake a cake with an anti-gay decoration? Whole Foods thinks so. We talked about this story (especially as it may relate to the Forced Choice question we debated earlier this year, about whether or not someone should have to make a cake they feel violates their religious principles) and about LGBTQ rights in general. Thanks for the discussion!

I also showed the voter's guide for the upcoming primary election, which features my mom as a part of it! So cool to have a personal connection to government as I teach it, too. :-)

D'Shawn volunteered to do the next news brief.

Executive Branch Test: I hope that you studied and did well on this! I will try to have the grades entered in soon. Thirty questions, multiple choice, then the political spectrum. Not too bad, I hope! Thanks, as always for your effort on this!

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

I thought this was a good overview of the structure of the federal court system in the United States. Next, I led students through a fill in the blank overview of the judicial branch. Here it is again, if you want to go over it to study for the test:

Google Drive: Judicial Branch Overview

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

NYTimes Upfront - 10 Supreme Court Cases Every Teen Should Know

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

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

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

Thanks! See you next time! Have a great weekend! :-)

Executive Branch, Day 5 - 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: "If You're Out There" by John Legend. Selected for today because it was a song that President Obama used to campaign, and we are in the Executive Branch unit. Lyrics here.

AGENDA 4/18/16:
News Brief – Jessie
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!

Finally, review the Legislative Branch and political spectrum, because that will be on the test, as well.

Next news brief: Sophie.

News Brief: Jessie had the news brief today and selected an article about this story to talk about: KOIN.com - New Oregon laws going into effect on January 1. This was a look at laws that are currently in effect here in Oregon. We talked about Earned Sick Leave (which my mom helped pass in Portland, before the state did) and the increase in minimum wage. Thanks, Jessie!

Sophie was selected to do the next news brief.

We also checked in about the weekend and what everyone was up to, before moving on.

Cabinet Simulation: 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? What responsibilities does it have?
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?

Here are the notes that I took during the presentation. If a name is in bold, that was because the other partner either wasn't in class, or did not share at all.

Google Drive: Notes from 4/18/2016 Cabinet Meeting - Period 4

I realize this took a long time to do (almost all of class), so thank you for your patience and understanding that it is important each student have a voice in the process.

Study Guide/Executive Review: Here is the study guide for the test, which will be 30 multiple choice questions (for LT5), plus the political spectrum again.

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 4 - Class Recap

The American Cemetery in Normandy, France. A reminder that with great power comes great responsibility.

Hi everybody,

Today was the final 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 1: I can communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing.
Research LT 1: I can effectively conduct and apply research.

Soundtrack: "God Moving Over the Face of the Waters" by Moby. Selected for today because it was the same as my soundtrack for Global Studies, where they are learning about religion, and because the President is not all powerful. This was an instrumental song with no lyrics. Listen to it again if you want here.

AGENDA 4/14/15:
News Brief - Brandon
Cabinet Project
Computer Lab N210

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: Jessie.

News Brief: Brandon had the news brief today and talked about this story: CNN.com - Paul Ryan on 2016 bid: 'Count me out'. This was a great news brief, as it allowed us to talk about the Republican process for nominating a presidential candidate, and what will happen this summer. It will be super interesting, for sure! Thanks, Brandon!

Jessie volunteered to do the next news brief.

We also checked in about the weekend and what everyone was up to. Always nice to hear about what people are doing outside of class!

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. If you have missed class the last two times, you need to select one that has either nobody or one person on it:

Agriculture: Angel and Mo M.
Commerce: Daniel and Avery
Defense: D’Shawn and Mo H.
Education: Emma and Riley
Energy: Ty and Quinn
Health and Human Services: Anna and Vanessa
Housing and Urban Development:
Interior: Nyree
Justice: Brandon and Claire
Labor: Julia and Jessie
Transportation: Emily and Faiza
Treasury: Alex M.
Veteran’s Affairs: Olivia and Alex B.
State Department: Alex J. and Sophie
Homeland Security: Lexi and Vivian
Environmental Protection Agency:
US Mission to the United Nations:

If you missed class, please see where you are on the list and who your partner is!

Computer Lab N210: 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 Monday!

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 1: I can communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing.
Research LT 1: I can effectively conduct and apply research.

Soundtrack: "Step in the Name of Love" by R. Kelly. Selected for today because of us stepping on over to the Computer Lab later in class. Lyrics here.

AGENDA 4/12/16:
Wildcat News Brief - Claire
The Presidency
Cabinet Project
Computer Lab N210

Homework: Read the blog. 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)! Continue working on Cabinet project. Next news brief: Brandon.

Wildcat News Brief: Claire had the news brief today, and selected this article to talk about with the class: WWeek.com - A Vancouver Charity is Funding a Group Backing North Carolina’s Anti-Transgender “Bathroom Bill”. This brought up a pretty interesting conversation in class about gender identity, "religious freedom" type laws, and the backlash to recent laws passing in North Carolina and Mississippi. We also talked about the Westview QSA which meets on Wednesday across the hall from our classroom, after school. Thanks, Claire!

Brandon volunteered to do the next news brief.

Here's Wildcat News for the day if you missed class, or wanted to see it again:

The Presidency: We finished going through The Presidency reading and questions:

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 worked on in class today:

Google Drive - Presidential Cabinet Assignment Handout

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

Agriculture: Angel and Mo M.
Commerce: Daniel and Avery
Defense: D’Shawn and Mo H.
Education: Emma and Riley
Energy: Ty and Quinn
Health and Human Services: Anna and Vanessa
Housing and Urban Development:
Interior: Nyree
Justice: Brandon and Claire
Labor: Julia and Jessie
Transportation:
Treasury: Alex M.
Veteran’s Affairs: Olivia and Alex B.
State Department: Alex J. and Sophie
Homeland Security: Lexi and Vivian
Environmental Protection Agency:
US Mission to the United Nations:

If you missed class, please see where you are on the list and who your partner is!

Computer Lab N210: We spent the second half of class in the lab. We will also spend much of next class in the lab, and the cabinet project assignment will be due on Monday.

See you next class!

Executive Branch, Day 2 - Class Recap

NOTE: There will be no blog recap for the 4/8 class because we had many students taking the Smarter Balanced test, so we had no new content. Have a great weekend! We will get back to the Executive Branch next class.

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

Hi everyone,

Today, we heard from Deputy Jamie Hallford, 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 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: "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 4/6/16:
News Brief – Riley
Deputy Hallford
CRLE Forms
Review Legislative Test
The Presidency

Homework: Read the blog. Smarter Balanced on Friday. Next news brief: Claire (on Tuesday).

News Brief: Riley had the news brief today and selected this article to talk about in class: NYTimes.com - Obama Criticizes Donald Trump for Plan to Cut Money Transfers to Mexico. We talked about this story and the election results from Wisconsin last night. Last class, we learned that President Obama has the role of chief diplomat for the United States government. Today, we heard about how people around the world have been concerned about the election here, and the possible implications of policy proposals. We were a little pressed for time, but this was a good discussion, thank you!

I selected Claire to do the next news brief, in the interests of time, because Deputy Hallford had arrived in the room.

Deputy Hallford: Much of the rest of class was devoted to Jamie Hallford, who is the officer here at Westview. Here are all the questions that were handed in, that he went over:

Google Drive - Questions for Deputy Hallford

Jamie talked about his experience with being the Student Support Officer here for the past five years. Hopefully, you enjoyed hearing him talk with the class, because I always do!

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, and the counselor didn't say anything about needing a resume as well, so I think you are good to go! I will try to have my mom come in near the end of the semester for a second opportunity, as well.

Review Legislative Test: Grades have been updated on that back wall and in Student VUE, so please know where you are at and what you need to do in order to improve, if possible! We did not review this in class, because there were so many students in class that had not taken it.

The Presidency: As a blog extra, here is a video from Election Night 2000, when nobody really knew who won the election for President:

At the end of class, we went through The Presidency reading and questions:

Google Drive - The Presidency Reading

These are the questions that go along with the reading:

Google Drive - The Presidency Questions

We ended around question 8 or so, and will pick back up next class (after Smarter Balanced on Friday), then start the Executive Branch project, which involves selecting a cabinet department to research. See you on Friday!

Executive Branch, Day 1 - Class Recap

The White House, in Washington, D.C., where the President (the head of the Executive Branch of the United States government) lives. Photo taken in 2011.

Hi everyone,

Today was the Legislative Branch test in class, as well as the start of our unit on 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: "Won't Get Fooled Again" by The Who. Selected for today because last week was April Fools Day. I talked for a bit in class about a prank I helped the Westview staff play on Dr. Franco. Lyrics here.

AGENDA 4/4/16:
News Brief – Mo H.
Legislative Test
Executive Branch Overview
The Presidency
Questions for Deputy Hallford

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

News Brief: Mo H. had the news brief today and selected an article about this story to talk about in class: CNN.com - FTC: Scam cancer charities kept millions of dollars. What an incredibly outrageous story, for a variety of reasons. We talked about how the government enforces rules about scams (which is a good lead in to the Executive Branch). Thanks, Mo H.! Riley was drawn as the next news brief.

We also checked in about the weekend and what people were up to, before moving on.

Legislative Test: I was generous in the lead up to this, as I went over basically the exact questions from the test and gave some study time before I passed it out. I should have grades for it available by next class (fingers crossed).

Executive Branch Overview: The next part of class was learning about the Executive Branch. Here are the answers to the sheet I passed out to start the unit:

Google Drive - Executive Branch Overview Notes

As part of going through this, I explained that the 2000 Presidential Election was decided by the Electoral College, not the popular vote (Gore got the most votes in the country, but still lost the election). We will look more into this soon.

The Presidency: Here is the reading that we ended class with. It is not homework to complete (unless you missed class), but be familiar with the basics, as a future test will be based on it!

Google Drive - The Presidency Reading

These are the questions that go along with the reading:

Google Drive - The Presidency Questions

I am fully aware that this was not the most interesting class as far as new content goes. I think it will be more engaging soon!

Questions for Deputy Hallford: At the end of class, we made some questions for Jamie Hallford, who is the officer here at Westview. Here are all the questions that were handed in:

Google Drive - Questions for Deputy Hallford

Next class, Jamie will come in and answer your questions, and talk about his experience with being the Student Support Officer here. In the past, this has been an awesome experience in learning more about law enforcement (directly related to the Executive Branch) and filling out a Career Related Learning Experience form (I believe you need to have 4 of these completed as a graduation requirement). I am looking forward to it! See you next class.

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: "Paris, Tokyo" by Lupe Fiasco. Selected for today because of the horrific terrorist attacks in Paris last week. Lyrics here.

AGENDA 11/17/15:
News Brief – Natalie B.
Executive Branch Test
Judicial Branch Overview
Cases Every Teen Should Know

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

News Brief: Natalie B. had the news brief today and selected this article to talk about: NBCNews.com - Lawmakers, Activists Underwhelmed by SeaWorld Plan to End Orca Show. We talked about how the government might have a role in protecting animals, and the declining profits at SeaWorld after the Blackfish documentary came out.

We also talked about this story: CNN.com - More than half the nation's governors say Syrian refugees not welcome. We went into detail about the Paris attacks and what happened there. I talked a bit about my own experience in Paris (as my girlfriend is from there), and showed a map of where the attacks happened. This was in an attempt to provide some context for what happened and why. It is important that we continue learning about what is going on in the world, as it relates to our government!

Jesus 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! :-)