Elections Then and Now

Congratulations to all who handed in your final assessment on Territorial Expansion on time! When US business leaders were asked to rank the skills and traits they look for in workers, one of the top items was “arrives on time and meets deadlines.”

This past week we focused on Andrew Jackson. Why was his election considered a victory for the “common man?” How did politics change to encourage greater participation? After responding to these questions, we asked what qualities we look for in a candidate in 2007 and what future changes would encourage greater voter participation. You put together an impressive list of qualities for presidential candidates: honesty, creativity, good listening skills, and ability to respond to the needs of the average person. We then assembled a list of voting changes that could lead to greater participation: allowing several days for voting, using the internet to vote, and even lowering the voting age to include all high school seniors. It will be interesting to watch for these changes. Just as paper ballots were a new idea during the Jackson era, voting via the internet may be the new idea for the 21st century.

This weekend you have two assignments: the spoke diagram on Andrew Jackson and the sound bite worksheet. You have watched a video about AJ, you have a packet with readings and of course you have your text. Follow the rubric and use a variety of resources and you should meet or exceed the standard. We practiced listening for sound bites when we watched our news report from ABC so you know what to look for…make sure to select the appropriate sound bites and offer evidence to support your position. Providing evidence is good practice for our upcoming CIM task.

CIM Task

Next week we will start our CIM Task. The task will be one you could use for your portfolio, and after hearing Mr. Ruscito’s presentation on the new PBGR (Performance Based Graduation Requirements) you know that this is an especially important assignment. You will be writing a persuasive essay. We will have some time in the library and Mr. Fontaine has put together a file of resources you may use to help you write your essay.

Class Folder

You are required to have an updated folder in the classroom. If you take your folder home to review your work, please return the folder ASAP to the bin. You do not want to lose credit because of a missing folder. The status of assignment sheet allows you to monitor your work and keep track of your grade. You can always find your percentage grade by adding up your points and dividing that sum by the total possible points.