Westward Bound

This week you had the opportunity to apply The Bill of Rights to a variety of scenarios and many of you demonstrated that you could apply for a job as a defender of rights. Great job. Keep in mind your rights are like muscles…if you don’t exercise them they wither away or become weak.

Constitution Booklet

Congratulations to all who turned in their booklets. In addition to the content challenges of the task, you had to be a good time manager. You had multiple decisions to make and you had to find numerous articles to meet the task rubric. This assignment gave you guidelines but it also gave you flexibility to meet the standard in your own way. While this assignment might seem extra challenging because of the general guidelines, it also gives you the opportunity to think through the content in your individual way and to design a product that is truly unique. I especially enjoyed seeing the artistic side of your thinking as many of you spent considerable time to construct an attractive cover.

A Turning Point in History

Our latest UpFront magazine featured an article on the election of 2008 and why it may be a turning point in our history, as we may select a woman or a member of a minority group. In our discussion many of you pointed out the exciting opportunity this was for our country as we open our thinking to include a more diverse list of candidates. The list of candidates is expected to be especially long this election as it is the first time in 50 years that no incumbent will be running. Incumbency brings added visibility and the ability to raise the millions of dollars needed to run for national office. On the other hand, if you’re not a popular incumbent you have drawbacks. This article led us to look back to the election of 1800.

The election of 1800 is sometimes called the “revolution of 1800,” as this was the first time in our country's history that presidential leadership changed from one political party to the other, with the Federalist party of Washington and Adams losing to the anti-Federalists, now known as the Jeffersonian Republicans. Today in our country we don’t worry about violence if there is a change in political leadership but in 1800 this system was untested. While the Federalists lost the presidency and would never regain their power, we need to reflect on the lasting impact this party had in establishing our country. We also need to remember that even though the new president was not a Federalist, the principles of the Federalists, especially their belief in a strong national government, continued to be upheld by the Supreme Court under the leadership of John Marshall.

Coming Attractions

On Friday you received the new standard on Territorial Expansion and the syllabus. On February 26 you will be working on the question sheet for Lewis and Clark. We briefly spoke about Thomas Jefferson and his bold and expensive (back then) decision to buy the Louisiana Purchase. Being a man of science and curiosity, Jefferson commissioned Lewis and Clark to explore this new land and to report to him their findings. Let the journey begin!

Period 7 will have the “John Adams” accountable talk session on March 1. Your book journals will be due the same day.

Current events will resume the next day three and you may select any national or international article.

Happy Birthday George and Abe

On Monday February 19 we celebrate Presidents Day. In the olden days, George Washington’s and Abraham Lincoln’s birthdays were separate holidays but in 1971 Congress decided to establish the third Monday in February as a day to remember all Presidents. The study of the men (up to this point) who have held this position has given historians and authors lots to write about. These men have captained the ship of state during calm as well as tumultuous times. The electorate has remained faithful to the idea that we the people can rule and that we have the ability to select the person to lead our country.

And the Tony Goes To

Congratulations to the cast and crew of “Til Death.” Your production was a fun way to start our winter break.

A Lingering Question

I wonder why the blog got an increase of over 100% of visitors on February 14. It was a snow day so there was time to visit…it was Valentine’s Day, so maybe some of you thought Cupid might have left a message there…and it was the day before the final assessment on the Constitution was due, and maybe the blog would help you complete the project? I wonder….

Enjoy your break… rest, read, laugh, help someone, keep up with current events, ask questions, and return ready to tackle the West.

This blogger is going on break so there will be no posting next weekend, but stay tuned for a special version of the blog that will feature photos from La Ville de la Lumière!

Exercise Your Rights

This past week we focused on The Bill of Rights, the first ten amendments added to the Constitution in 1791 to protect the rights of the people from a powerful national government. Additional amendments aimed at protecting the individual (13, 14, 15, 19 and 26) are sometimes included in a loose definition of The Bill of Rights.

As you saw in our discussion of the Tinker Case, TLO, and most recently the Portsmouth High School Sword Case, you the students have rights. But we must also keep in mind there is a constant balancing act between liberty (your freedoms and rights) and order. The goal of The Bill of Rights is to protect individuals from a government that might infringe upon your freedoms. Should the majority have the right to curtail or take away your rights? We may not like what individuals or groups say and do but if we start limiting freedom of expression where does one stop? Let’s keep in mind a quote that has been attributed to Voltaire (French author, 1694-1778)

“I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death
your right to say it.”

Your Constitution Booklet

You have an opportunity this week to demonstrate your knowledge of how our national government is organized and some of the key aspects of how our government functions. The booklet you create should be suitable to use, for example, with an audience of foreign students visiting MHS.

Helpful hints as you work on this project:

Read the task carefully and the rubric; mark up the assignment; underline
key components of the task.

Make a list or outline of what you want to include in the booklet; what
terms or phrases are essential in order to teach someone about
our national level of government; think about how you will
incorporate this information.

Locate current events articles that will show our Constitution in action;
you have had practice doing this with our current events assignments
and our showing of The State of the Union address in class.

Think about how you learned about the structure of the national government,
its functions and the key principles we believe in as a nation.

Share the assignment with a friend or family member; talk about how
you are thinking about this project; break it into manageable
sections or chapters.

Go back and reread the task and rubric; did you do everything the task asked
for?


“John Adams” Period 7

Your next JA assignment is due after the February break. Take the time to review the tasks and rubric. You are to keep a journal for each chapter and respond to the entry questions.

You must also be prepared for an accountable talk activity by bringing in a question, quote or comment to start the discussion for each of the three chapters. You will be assigned to one of the chapters for the talk activity but you must be prepared for all of the chapters.

The chapters you are reading cover what historians refer to as the Early Republic. This is the same time period we have been talking about in class: writing of the Constitution, passage of the Bill of Rights and the administrations of George Washington and John Adams.

Another First

Harvard University, founded in 1636 and the oldest university in the United States, is expected to name its first female president tomorrow. Dr. Drew Faust, a historian of the Civil War South, is the author of five books, a former professor of history at the University of Pennsylvania and the current dean of the Radcliff Institute of Advanced Study. I wonder if she is friends with Speaker of the House Pelosi?

Housekeeping

A friendly reminder that we will not do current events this day 3 as you are incorporating current events articles into your Constitution booklet.

You need to have your portfolio folder back in the classroom this week. Third quarter assignments are being returned and one of our goals for this quarter is to stay organized.

I will be at a training session on Monday focused on bringing back even more exciting ways for us to think and act like historians, so I will not be available for after school help. I will be available in the mornings and Wednesday afternoon if you need any assistance. You may also email me at asullivan@mpsri.net if you have any questions.

Articles, Articles, Articles

We’re starting off our second semester with a Constitutional scavenger hunt where you have the opportunity to apply today’s scenarios to a document written in 1787. Can Ben Stiller run for the Senate from Rhode Island? How would you recommend we improve the Student Loan program? And if you want to avoid the hassle of running frequent campaigns, what office would you seek in order to have the longest term?

Our current events this week were also linked to the Constitution. Many of you brought in articles showing the Legislative branch in action writing new laws such as the minimum wage act. Some of you brought in articles about the Executive branch and its role in actually signing the legislation in order for the act to become a law. A few students brought in articles about the courts. A cautionary note: make sure your article is about the Federal court system. It is easy to get confused when you do a quick on-line search for articles about the courts, as most of these articles deal with State court rulings. Remember, we have three levels of government (local, state, and federal), and our focus is on the national, or federal, level of government.

Our final assessment on the Constitution will be twofold: a fast-paced Jeopardy style round of questions and a Constitution booklet. You’ll hear more about both these assessments next week.

Reflection Letters

Your letters clearly outlined the steps you need to take to reach your goals for second semester. Being on time, doing all of the assignments to the best of your ability, being an active listener in class, taking notes, and reviewing the reading prior to coming to class were among the many suggestions in your letters. Writing down your goals is a first step toward reaching them. Good job!

We the Students

Next week we will also start looking at the Bill of Rights, with a special focus on Supreme Court cases and issues that originated with conflict in high schools. Can the Principal search your locker or backpack? Can the school newspaper be censored by the administration? Can the Principal ban a picture of a student holding a sword from the yearbook? That last item sure sounds familiar! We will read the facts of the cases and then you will act as the judge. Get out your black flowing robes and get ready to weigh the evidence!

Portfolio

We have already had three assignments this quarter and have started a new status of assignment sheet. Make sure your folder is back in the bin and that you have taken the time to update your form. You will once again find the portfolio handy when it comes time for the final exam. Remember, one of our goals this quarter is to stay organized!