Articles, Articles, Articles

This week we completed a series of questions that allowed you to explore the Constitution and how it impacts our everyday life. You found that our Constitution is a short and flexible document that has survived because of its ability to respond to the times.

As you keep up on national events, look at how our Constitution impacts the actions of our elected leaders and the judiciary. An excellent example is the process we are witnessing as Judge Alito's confirmation process continues. Our excitement for this event is heightened knowing that Senator Chafee’s (R-RI) vote will play a key role in the confirmation process and his decision will affect his reelection efforts. Senator Chafee can earn the support of Republicans by supporting Alito or he can earn the support of many Independents and vote no. Rhode Islanders have always been known for their independent spirit. Many observers are concerned that Judge Alito could shift the high court to the right causing a new wave of restrictions on personal liberties.

Bill of Rights

After our student written quiz on the Constitution, we will turn to the Bill of Rights. The Bill Of Rights is technically the first 10 amendments to the Constitution that were added in order to gain the support of the Anti-federalists. Over time other amendments have been added to expand personal liberties such as the right to vote for 18 year olds. Next week you will be working on one of the amendments and its effect on our daily lives. You will then present your interpretation to the class. Finally, we will look at Supreme Court cases that affect the lives of high school students. You will act as the judge as you interpret the Bill of Rights as applied to locker searches, censoring high school newspapers, and wearing black arm bands to school.


State of the Union Address

Tuesday evening the President will address a Joint Session of Congress. Article II section 3 of the Constitution requires the President to “give to the Congress information on the State of the Union.” Your homework will ask you to use your senses: what did you see, what did you hear, and how did the speech make you feel. This is a time for high drama so take time to tune in!

The Power Couple

In case you missed the first showing of “John and Abigail” on PBS, you have a second opportunity on Sunday, January 29 at 9pm on channel 44. They were truly an amazing couple that devoted years to the betterment of this country at great personal sacrifice. Abigail is given equal billing as a political thinker and advisor to her husband the president and to her son John Quincy, whom she raised to serve his country though she did not live to see him become President.

The Redwood Returns

This week the Redwood Library in Newport was reopened after an extensive renovation. Earlier in this blog you may have read about George Washington’s visit to the library and its influence on the renovation of Mt. Vernon. As part of the reopening, Edmund Morris a Pulitzer Prize winning author spoke about his most recent book “Beethoven.” He is also the author of a trilogy on Theodore Roosevelt. He was kind enough to sign my copy of “Theodore Rex.” It looks great next to my signed copies of “John Adams” and “1776.”

A Job Well Done

Congratulations on successfully completing your mid term exam. Those students who completed the study guide added significantly to their final scores. You persisted (habit of mind), you worked on accuracy (habit of mind) and you communicated with clarity (habit of mind). GREAT JOB!

The Original Power Couple

American Experience on PBS (Channel 2) will be showing “John and Abigail Adams” on Monday, January 23 at 9:00 pm. The show will be repeated Friday, January 27. The show is a combination documentary and historical recreation. This is must see TV!

The Constitution Continues

We will return to our study of the Constitution this week. As part of our study of the Executive branch, you will be assigned a “State of the Union” activity. Yes….for homework you will be asked to watch part of this address on TV. Article II, section III of the Constitution states “He shall from time to time give to the Congress information on the State of the Union.” (Now that Geena Davis has won a Golden Globe award for her portrayal of President Mackenzie Allen, maybe Congress should think about updating the language used in the Constitution)

George Washington gave the first State of the Union address on January 8, 1790 in New York City. Thomas Jefferson, being an especially shy individual, sent his message to Congress where it was read by a clerk. Calvin Coolidge was the first president to have his address broadcast on radio, Harry Truman was the first president to have his address on television, and George W. Bush was the first president to have his address broadcast on the World Wide Web.

Time for Checks and Balances

President Bush’s nomination of Judge Alito to the Supreme Court gives us a perfect example of our system of checks and balances in action. The Senate is in the process of giving their “advice and consent” (Article II section2). The writers of the Constitution set up a system that allowed each branch the opportunity to stop the actions of the others and to provide for a balance of power. It was interesting to note that the Senators on the Judiciary Committee asked Judge Alito several questions about his thoughts on the power of the Executive branch. Senator Hatch from Utah, in his questioning, reminded all of us that no one, not even the President, is above the law. Our Constitution is based on the rule of law and is the supreme law of the land (Article VI).

We ended our discussion of the Constitution with a reminder that not everyone in 1787 supported the document. The Anti-federalists feared that the document would create too strong a central government and that personal liberties were not spelled out in a Bill of Rights. The supporters of the Constitution were able to brilliantly explain each objection through a series of newspaper articles called the “Federalist Papers.” The essays, written by Madison, Hamilton, and Jay, persuaded the voters of New York to vote in favor of the Constitution. Rhode Island once again showed its independent spirit by being the last of the original colonies to approve the document in May 1790.

Mid Term Exams

Next week you have the opportunity to demonstrate your understanding of our first two standards. Some last minute advice:

Use the study guide along with the text and standards; terms and events
need to be understood in context not as isolated vocab words

Use your portfolio assignments; review your past work to prepare
for the exam

Use the blog; start with the September entries; by reading the weekly
entries, you will have a complete review of what we covered
and the skills used to accomplish our tasks

Use the habits of mind that we have been practicing: persevere; ask
questions; think about your thinking; reflect

230 Years Ago!

Thank you to KH for reminding us that “Common Sense” will be 230 year old on January 15! Thomas Paine clearly articulated the “Common Sense” reasons for separating from England. In addition he argued that people could establish their own government and did not need kings or nobles. This 47 page pamphlet quickly became a best seller in the colonies and supported the members of the Continental Congress when they signed the Declaration of Independence in July 1776.

A Day to Remember

Let us all take a moment to remember Dr. Martin Luther King and the great service and sacrifices he made for this country. He articulated a grand vision for our country, much like the original founders, and we must continue to all contribute to the goals he set forth.

We Are A Nation

This week we watched the final episode of Liberty which focused on how the nation would be governed. England saw the effort of the former colonists to establish a democracy an “experiment” that was bound to fail. Under the Articles of Confederation, our country was a weak alliance of states. Taxes could not be collected and outbreaks such as Shay’s Rebellion were difficult to quell.

Finally, in 1787 a strong group of Federalists arrived in Philadelphia with the idea of rewriting the Articles but it soon became apparent that a whole new government was required. James Madison, a 37 year old delegate from Virginia, came to the convention with the idea of a bicameral legislature. This kicked off the first major debate of the convention as to how the legislative branch should be organized. In class, you compared this plan with the New Jersey Plan (small state proposal) and the final Great Compromise or the Connecticut Plan. You will continue to work on the organization of our government (The Constitution) with your homework assignment. In addition, you have a “Who’s Who” assignment that requires you to identify the people who hold various offices today. You need to know who to contact if you have an issue with your government. You are only a few years away from being 18 and the right to vote so it is imperative that you start watching your elected officials now so you will be an informed voter.

Assessments for the American Revolution

Congratulations to all who exceeded or met standard on the recent take home assessments on the War. If you were asked to revise, I hope you took the opportunity. Revisions are a normal part of most tasks that we undertake in the outside world. Remember, even Thomas Jefferson revised the Declaration before it met the standard. Revisions were due on January 6.

Mid Term Exams

The exam period is fast approaching. You will be tested on Standards 1 and 2 which covers material through Chapter 5 in “Pathways” and Boorstin and Kelley. You will receive a study guide and you are encouraged to use your Portfolio assignments.

Trivia Question

In what scene does Napoleon Dynamite think and act like an historian?

Happy 2006!

Thoughts for the New Year:

smile
read for fun
take a walk
say please and thank you
use multiple sources
laugh often
do a crossword puzzle
give a compliment
ask questions
eat more vegetables
always use spell check
be nice to someone
drive slower
tell someone you care
volunteer to do a household chore
watch the news
ask someone their opinion
get more sleep
learn a new joke
start a journal
make a new friend

Help make 2006 a great year!