Time for a Convention
We have started off the New Year with a preview of the Constitution. A good understanding of the Declaration of Independence, The Constitution, and The Bill of Rights will enable all of us to better understand current events, particularly during this exciting Election Year. We will focus a lot of attention on the Constitution and how our government operates today, and our study of current events will allow us to see our Constitution in action!
Our first reading focused on the difficulties the states were having after the War. Each state had its own government and currency. The Articles of Confederation formed a loose alliance among the states that left little power to the national Congress, which had no power to collect taxes or regulate trade.
With the debt of war weighing on every state, local taxes had to be raised to a high level. This led to a sharp division between the debtors - mostly farmers and small merchants – and the wealthy landowners and bankers. Some states had sold bonds to finance the war, and now the bond holders wanted their payments. In Massachusetts (known as the land of “hotheads”) some farmers banded together to oppose the new taxes. This armed resistance was known as Shay’s Rebellion. The Nationalists who wanted a strong central government feared this uprising and used this event to encourage the states to form a convention to revise the Articles of Confederation. Advocates of state’s rights and individual liberty, such as Thomas Jefferson, supported the uprising as an example of individual liberty and people petitioning the government to make changes.
This issue of supporting or not supporting government action is still with us today. For example, some citizens have protested against the war in Iraq, calling it a misdirected policy, while others have criticized them for being unpatriotic. Citizens also disagree on the role government should play on issues like health care and protecting the environment.
The Convention Begins
On Tuesday we will reenact the opening of the Constitutional Convention. On Friday you worked with a partner to gather information about one of the delegates. As you prepare your name tent and introduction, ask yourself why this person was chosen to represent their state at the Convention. What unique experiences or perspectives did they bring?
As you will see in this section of the text, compromise became the key to the final writing of the document. What does it mean to compromise? Can compromises be found on every issues? Has the ability to compromise played a role in your life?
We will look at some key issues the Convention dealt with and see how the participants found compromises that balanced liberty and order.
Portfolio Update
We are due for an update as I return your accountable talk score and your take-home questions for The American Revolution. Many of you did a great job on the take-home questions. You thought about the issues and tried to put yourself in the shoes of the Colonists during this difficult time. Congratulations to all who met the deadline!
“Welcoming Baba Noel”
The Providence Journal ran a front page story on a family from Iraq that recently relocated to Providence. As I read the story I thought of the earliest colonists coming to this country for a better future, and how in 2007 the same hopes and aspirations inspired a family from Iraq. They were forced out of a country torn apart by violence and limited opportunities and drawn to our country by hope for a better future.
Thank you Nick
National Treasure: Book of Secrets has been the top box office seller for the past three weeks. It is great to see a story based on historical events reach so many movie goers. It is an added source of pleasure for Middletown because the star of the movie, Nicholas Cage, is now a resident of our town.
Current Events
Our next assignment is due January 9, the day of the New Hampshire primary. It will be interesting to compare the results of the Iowa caucus with the New Hampshire results. The tension is mounting as both parties grapple with issues that will determine who wins the White House in November 2008. This is the first time in 50 years that an incumbent President or Vice President is not running, so the field is wide open for new faces in both parties. History in the making!!
A New Year…A Time for Resolutions
The beginning of a new year is a great time to pause and think about your goals and aspirations not only for the year 2008 but for the long term. The work habits, skills, and knowledge you are acquiring in high school will be the foundation for your future success. If you learn to set goals, establish work plans, and practice good study and living habits now, you can be assured of meeting future challenges with success. I have never encountered a person who wished they had studied less, read fewer books, gotten lower grades, or ignored their friends and community. So take the time at the start of this fresh and exciting year to write down two or three goals for 2008. Keep them handy, refer to them often and strive to complete your tasks at hand. You will never regret taking the time to contemplate your future and to plan accordingly.
Our first reading focused on the difficulties the states were having after the War. Each state had its own government and currency. The Articles of Confederation formed a loose alliance among the states that left little power to the national Congress, which had no power to collect taxes or regulate trade.
With the debt of war weighing on every state, local taxes had to be raised to a high level. This led to a sharp division between the debtors - mostly farmers and small merchants – and the wealthy landowners and bankers. Some states had sold bonds to finance the war, and now the bond holders wanted their payments. In Massachusetts (known as the land of “hotheads”) some farmers banded together to oppose the new taxes. This armed resistance was known as Shay’s Rebellion. The Nationalists who wanted a strong central government feared this uprising and used this event to encourage the states to form a convention to revise the Articles of Confederation. Advocates of state’s rights and individual liberty, such as Thomas Jefferson, supported the uprising as an example of individual liberty and people petitioning the government to make changes.
This issue of supporting or not supporting government action is still with us today. For example, some citizens have protested against the war in Iraq, calling it a misdirected policy, while others have criticized them for being unpatriotic. Citizens also disagree on the role government should play on issues like health care and protecting the environment.
The Convention Begins
On Tuesday we will reenact the opening of the Constitutional Convention. On Friday you worked with a partner to gather information about one of the delegates. As you prepare your name tent and introduction, ask yourself why this person was chosen to represent their state at the Convention. What unique experiences or perspectives did they bring?
As you will see in this section of the text, compromise became the key to the final writing of the document. What does it mean to compromise? Can compromises be found on every issues? Has the ability to compromise played a role in your life?
We will look at some key issues the Convention dealt with and see how the participants found compromises that balanced liberty and order.
Portfolio Update
We are due for an update as I return your accountable talk score and your take-home questions for The American Revolution. Many of you did a great job on the take-home questions. You thought about the issues and tried to put yourself in the shoes of the Colonists during this difficult time. Congratulations to all who met the deadline!
“Welcoming Baba Noel”
The Providence Journal ran a front page story on a family from Iraq that recently relocated to Providence. As I read the story I thought of the earliest colonists coming to this country for a better future, and how in 2007 the same hopes and aspirations inspired a family from Iraq. They were forced out of a country torn apart by violence and limited opportunities and drawn to our country by hope for a better future.
Thank you Nick
National Treasure: Book of Secrets has been the top box office seller for the past three weeks. It is great to see a story based on historical events reach so many movie goers. It is an added source of pleasure for Middletown because the star of the movie, Nicholas Cage, is now a resident of our town.
Current Events
Our next assignment is due January 9, the day of the New Hampshire primary. It will be interesting to compare the results of the Iowa caucus with the New Hampshire results. The tension is mounting as both parties grapple with issues that will determine who wins the White House in November 2008. This is the first time in 50 years that an incumbent President or Vice President is not running, so the field is wide open for new faces in both parties. History in the making!!
A New Year…A Time for Resolutions
The beginning of a new year is a great time to pause and think about your goals and aspirations not only for the year 2008 but for the long term. The work habits, skills, and knowledge you are acquiring in high school will be the foundation for your future success. If you learn to set goals, establish work plans, and practice good study and living habits now, you can be assured of meeting future challenges with success. I have never encountered a person who wished they had studied less, read fewer books, gotten lower grades, or ignored their friends and community. So take the time at the start of this fresh and exciting year to write down two or three goals for 2008. Keep them handy, refer to them often and strive to complete your tasks at hand. You will never regret taking the time to contemplate your future and to plan accordingly.
posted by "1776 and More" at 1:32 PM
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