State and Local Government, Day 6 - Class Recap

My mom, Portland City Commissioner Amanda Fritz, came to talk with our class today!

Dear class,

Today was our last day before finals, so we decided to have my mom, Portland City Commissioner Amanda Fritz, come talk about her job, which counted as a Career Related Learning Experience towards graduation requirements! 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: "City of Blinding Lights" by U2. Selected for today because my mom asked for a U2 song as her soundtrack, and she works for the City of Portland, serving all you beautiful people. :-) Lyrics here.

AGENDA 1/21/16:

News Brief – Emma
Commissioner Fritz
CRLE Forms
Final Study Guide

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

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News Brief: Emma had the news brief today and selected an article about this story to talk about: Philly.com - Wave of bogus threats hits schools in four states. We talked about this story, and other recent school threats, as well as the importance of talking about and preparing for such a threat. I wonder if these events are happening more frequently because it is around finals time?

The next news brief was assigned to Lindsay, who kindly volunteered.

Commissioner Fritz: The next part of class was taken by my mom coming to talk about her experience as a Portland City Commissioner. It was great to have her in to talk with us, after we have talked so much about State and Local Government during the past few weeks! Thank you for your interest, focus, and questions! I'm glad that you got to meet my mom!

CRLE Forms: I'm also glad students completed one of the four CRLE forms you need to graduate! :-)

Final Study Guide: At the end of class, I passed out the final study guide for the test next week. 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

Next class (on Monday), we will play Jeopardy again to review for the test, then the rest of class will be used for studying again. Your final for this class is next Wednesday at 7:45 AM. See you next week!

State and Local Government, Day 5 - 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., whose legacy we honored on Monday with not having school. I hope you did something to try and serve our community with your time! Lyrics here.

AGENDA 1/19/15:
News Brief – Ellimay
State of the Union
State and Local Packet
Q's For Commissioner Fritz

Homework: Read the blog. Prepare for finals! Next news brief (just find an article related to government - no write up needed): Emma.

Wildcat News Brief: Ellimay had the news brief today and selected an article about this story to talk about: CNN.com - Supreme Court to take up Obama immigration actions. We talked about this executive action earlier in the semester, and now the Supreme Court has taken the case (as 25 states have sued the Obama Administration about it). Thanks, Ellimay! Emma has the next news brief.

After the news brief, we watched Wildcat News. For those wanting to see it again (or if you missed class), here it is:

State of the Union: To catch up in class about President Obama's last State of the Union address last week, I showed a four minute highlight from TIME.com here. It was interesting to hear the President talk about what he sees as his accomplishments, ideas, and how to be an effective citizen (which we have talked about in class).

State and Local Packet: After the SOTU review, 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, with my mom coming to visit the class next class! We reviewed the material together later in class.

Q's for Commissioner Fritz: At the end of class, I asked students to make questions for my mom's visit next class. She is a Portland City Commissioner, and so her visit very much relates to our State and Local Government unit! I'm excited to have her in and for everyone to meet her!

State and Local Government, Day 4 - Class Recap

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

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: "So What" by Miles Davis. A bit of jazz (no lyrics) to start the class! Selected because I wanted students to explain the answer to "so what?" in regards to their State and Local projects.

AGENDA 1/14/16:
News Brief – Nikki
State/Local Presentations
State of the Union
Late Work?

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

News Brief: Nikki had the news brief today and selected an article about this story: OregonLive.com - A+ for Oregon on birth control, sex education, reproductive rights. Thanks, Nikki! Ellimay has the next news brief, which, because she has already done a write up, just needs to be talking about a story.

We also checked in about the upcoming weekend, and I mentioned that it is MLK Day on Monday, so try and do something to honor his memory and legacy in our community. :-)

State/Local Project: The 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.

State of the Union: We did not have time to really discuss the State of the Union speech, so I hope to get the chance to do so next class.

Late Work?: Please remember that all late work is due tomorrow if you want your grade to improve before finals! Put it in the inbox in class if I am not there! Have a great long weekend, everyone! See you next week - our last before finals!